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Occupy Honolulu: Hawaiian Musician Makana Performs Protest Song to World Leaders at APEC Summit

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Democracy Now - By Amy Goodman - Nov. 14 (Interview) - within the heavily guarded compound where the summit took place, renowned Hawaiian musician and guitarist Makana carried out his own act of protest. Makana had been invited to play instrumental music at the gala dinner Saturday night. At the dinner, Makana opened his jacket to reveal a t-shirt which read, "Occupy with Aloha." Then, instead of performing the background instrumental he was scheduled to play, he started to sing a protest song he had released earlier that day.

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Russia and China veto proposed UN resolution on Syria

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

OpenGlobe - By C628, OpenGlobe contributors - Oct. 05 (News Report) - Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian government's crackdown on protestors late on Tuesday, leading Western supporters of the bill to voice their anger at the decision. The proposed resolution would have condemned the Syrian government over its crackdown on protesters, as well as referring to the possibility of "targeted measures" against Syria. The text had been rewritted three times by drafters France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal in response to Russian and Chinese objections over teh use of the word "sanctions" in earlier versions, leading to the introduction of the "targeted measures" language.

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As Biden Visits China, Author David Wise on "Tiger Trap: America’s Secret Spy War with China"

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Juan Gonzalez, Amy Goodman - Aug. 18 (News Report) - Vice President Joe Biden arrived in China yesterday to begin a five-day trip aimed at reassuring leaders there of the stability of the U.S. economy and to begin building a relationship with that country’s most likely next president, Xi Jinping. The visit to the largest foreign creditor to the United States falls right after the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor’s, and just days after the Financial Times reported that Pakistan gave Chinese officials access to the wreckage of the top-secret U.S. stealth helicopter that crashed in the compound of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad during the U.S. raid in May.

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‘Crisis Status’ in South Korea After North Shells Island

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 09:18:01 -0700

New York Times - By Mark McDonald - Aug. 08 (News Report) - The South Korean military went to “crisis status” on Tuesday and threatened military strikes after the North fired dozens of shells at a South Korean island, killing two of the South’s soldiers and setting off an exchange of fire in one of the most serious clashes between the two sides in decades.

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Chinese manufacturers: The end of cheap goods?

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Economist - Jun. 12 (News Analysis) - “It is the end of cheap goods,” says Bruce Rockowitz. He is the chief executive of Li & Fung, a company that sources more clothes and common household products from Asia than perhaps any other. In the low-tech areas in which Li & Fung specialises, the firm handles an estimated 4% of China’s exports to America and a sizeable chunk of its exports to Europe, too. It has operations in several East Asian countries, where it diligently searches for cheap, reliable suppliers of everything from handbags to bar stools. So when Mr Rockowitz says the era of low-cost Asian production is drawing to a close, people listen. He argues that Asian manufacturing has gone through a number of phases, each lasting about 30 years. When China was isolated under Mao Zedong, companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea grew expert at making things. When China reopened in the late 1970s, after Mao’s death, these experienced Asian operators converged on southern China. With almost free access to land and labour, plus an efficient port and logistics hub in nearby Hong Kong, they started to make things ever more cheaply and sell them to the whole world. For the next 30 years manufacturers in China helped to keep global inflation in check. But that era is now over, says Mr Rockowitz. Chinese wages are rising fast. A wave of new demand, especially from China itself, is feeding a surge in commodity prices. Manufacturers can find some relief by moving production to new areas, such as western China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. But none of these new places will curb inflation the way southern China once did, he predicts. All rely on the same increasingly expensive pool of commodities. Many have rising wages or poor logistics. None can provide the scale and efficiency that was created when manufacturers converged on southern China.

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Nearly 600 Arrested in Asian Swindling Ring

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700

New York Times - By Michael Wines - Jun. 11 (Breaking News) - The sweep was reported to have shut down 161 boiler-room operations in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand, each employing sophisticated frauds.

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Afghan pilot kills nine US trainers in 'personal' row

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Independent - By Julius Cavendish - Apr. 28 (News Report) - Eight American soldiers and a civilian contractor were shot and killed by an Afghan pilot in Kabul yesterday after an argument erupted during a meeting at the city's military airport.

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US troops killed in Kabul airport attack

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Associated Press - Apr. 27 (News Report) - Eight American troops and a US contractor died after an Afghan military pilot opened fire during a meeting at Kabul airport — the deadliest episode to date of an Afghan turning against his coalition partners, officials said.

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Is America still a serious nation?

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700

The Week - By Robert Shrum - Apr. 22 (Opinion) - Are Americans still capable of making this country serious? That is the question — the real and fundamental issue — that spans all the bitter debates now raging in Washington, and everywhere in a decidedly unhappy land.

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US Forces Pull Back After Radiation Detected

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Associated Press - By Unknown - Mar. 15 (News Report) - SOMA, Japan -- The second hydrogen explosion in three days rocked Japan's stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant Monday, sending a massive column of smoke into the air and wounding 11 workers. Hours later, the U.S. said it had shifted its offshore forces away from the plant after detecting low-level radioactive contamination.

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Second nuclear meltdown likely under way in Japan, official says

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

NBC News - Mar. 13 (Special Report) - Japanese officials were trying frantically to thwart partial meltdowns presumed under way Sunday at two earthquake-stricken nuclear reactors in Japan.

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VIDEO: New footage of tsunami hitting Japan

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

BBC News - Mar. 13 (News Report) - Newly emerged footage shows the force at which the tsunami struck Japan's coast. In the fishing port of Miyako, in Iwate prefecture, boats were overturned, while video from Kamaishi city shows cars being dragged down city streets by the water.

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Japan crisis 'worst since WWII'

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

BBC News - Mar. 13 (News Report) - Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said Japan is experiencing its greatest hardships since World War II as it tackles the aftermath of an earthquake, tsunami and a growing nuclear crisis. He said the situation at the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant remained grave, a day after an explosion at a reactor. Japanese broadcaster NHK says the total number of confirmed deaths caused by the disaster now stands at 1,596. But police warn that the death toll in Miyagi region alone could top 10,000. Millions of survivors remain without electricity and authorities are stepping up relief efforts as the scale of the tragedy becomes clearer. About 310,000 people have been evacuated to emergency shelters, NHK says.

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Warships, doctors, and dogs on extensive Japan assistance mission

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

CNN - Mar. 13 (News) - Numerous U.S. rescue and assistance teams arrived Sunday in Japan and are helping lead a broad international effort to bring relief to areas ravaged by Friday's earthquake and tsunami. The United States, the United Kingdom, China, and South Korea are among 69 governments that have offered to help, Kyodo News Agency reported, citing the Japanese foreign ministry. Aid groups such as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have sent teams to some of the worst-hit areas, including Sendai, Narita, Asahi and Tokyo. Mercy Corps International teamed with Peace Winds Japan to rush aid to affected regions. Stephen McDonald of Save the Children told CNN Sunday his group had multiple teams in the country, reaching out to families left homeless. There are water shortages at evacuation centers, creating hygiene challenges, he said.

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US ups pressure on Sri Lanka over slain civilians

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Associated Press - Mar. 05 (News Report) - The United States is increasing pressure on Sri Lanka to investigate the deaths of thousands of civilians at the end of its civil war. Human rights groups contend a Sri Lankan government commission has demonstrated no intent of doing it. The Senate passed a resolution this past week urging an international investigation of war crimes allegations. The State Department has yet to go that far, but said Friday that pressure to do so would grow if Sri Lanka should fail to investigate the abuses properly.

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Carnivorous Plants Eat Poop From Tiny Bats

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Wired - By Mark Brown - Jan. 30 (News) - In a bizarre example of a symbiotic relationship, tiny bats in Borneo have been found using a carnivorous plant as a toilet, feeding the pitcher plant with their droppings, while they safely roost in the plant’s traps. Ulmar Grafe, an associate professor at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, was researching the pitcher plant — a giant, carnivorous vine with deep, pitfall cups that are used to trap prey — for a study published in Biology Letters. Grafe wanted to find out how the pitcher managed to find the nitrogen needed to survive in the nutrient-poor peat swamps of Borneo in southeast Asia.

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Don't swallow this pill

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Times of India - By Unni Karunakara - Jan. 21 (Opinion) - MSF's International President urges India not to cut off access to crucial low-cost medicines.

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The 'dish' Boehner will miss

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Washington Post - By Jena McGregor - Jan. 19 (Opinion) - Political pundits have been abuzz in recent days over John Boehner's decision to skip President Obama's state dinner for Chinese president Hu Jintao.

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Real Estate Rage Erupts in Hangzhou

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Wall Street Journal - By Jonathan Shieber - Jan. 11 (News Report) - A week after a story by China’s state broadcaster on affordable housing in Beijing set off a round of riotous complaints, a real riot over real estate erupted in the southern city of Hangzhou.

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U.N. council holds emergency meeting on Korea crisis

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Reuters - Dec. 19 (News) - The U.N. Security Council began an emergency meeting on Sunday in hopes of preventing the escalating crisis on the Korean peninsula from spiraling out of control.

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In North Korea, New Mexico governor says situation is a 'tinderbox'

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800

CNN - By CNN Wire Staff - Dec. 18 (News) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Saturday he is concerned about escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, where he is urging "maximum" restraint ahead of scheduled military exercises.

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China calls for emergency talks amid Korea crisis

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

BBC News - Nov. 28 (News Report) - China calls for emergency talks over North Korea's deadly shelling of a Southern island, as the South and US forces hold joint military exercises.

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North Korea says on 'brink of war' as US, South Korea prepare for military exercises

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Christian Science Monitor - By Tom A. Peter - Nov. 26 (News Report) - Officials in North Korea have warned that they are on the brink of war with the South, as the United States and South Korea prepare to conduct a joint training exercise in the Yellow Sea.

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(LEAD) South Korea, U.S. to start joint naval drill in Yellow Sea on Sunday

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Yonhap News Agency - Nov. 24 (News) - South Korea and the United States will launch a joint naval drill in the Yellow Sea from Sunday with a nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier participating amid heightened tensions over North Korea's artillery attack on a South Korean island, officials said Wednesday.

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Korea Attack: Yeonpyeong Island Shelled By North Korea

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Huffington Post - By Hyung-Jin Kim, Kwang-Tae Kim - Nov. 23 (News Report) - North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire Tuesday after the North shelled an island near their disputed sea border, killing at least two South Korean marines, setting dozens of buildings ablaze and sending civilians fleeing for shelter.

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