TresSugar

Front Page: India Launches Moon Orbiter, Palin Gives Speech Advocating Women, EU Protests US Death Sentence

CitizenSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:00:27 -0700

India Launches Moon Orbiter:
India has launched its first unmanned spacecraft on a mission to the moon, in an effort to assert its power in space. The mission is set to last two years and will prepare a three-dimensional atlas of the moon as well as survey the lunar surface for usable natural resources like uranium, a coveted fuel for nuclear power plants.

Palin Gives Speech Advocating Women:
At a rally in Nevada yesterday, Sarah Palin gave a speech advocating for women's rights the world over. She said, "there are still places where women are subjugated and persecuted as they were in Afghanistan, places we’re they’re bullied and brutalized and murdered in honor killings. . . if I am elected, these women, too, will have an advocate and a defender in the 47th vice president of the United States. She also gave her first interview to CNN.
EU Protests US Death Sentence:
The European parliament is protesting the execution of a prisoner in the US after seven of the nine key witnesses recanted their testimony against him. The head of the EU parliament says that all executions are a violation of human rights and that the prisoner symbolizes all death row inmates. He says he "will fight against the death penalty under any circumstances everywhere in the world."

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Front Page: Joe the Plumber Speaks, Social Security Benefits to Rise, EU Firm on Climate Goals

CitizenSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:00:42 -0700

Joe the Plumber Speaks:
After being the star of last night's debate, mentioned conservatively a dozen times, "Joe the Plumber" has come forward. His name is Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man who wants to buy a plumbing business. He had spoken with Obama in Toledo this week, and told him his tax plan would prevent him from buying the business. He said of being the example of the night, "It's pretty surreal, man, my name being mentioned in a presidential campaign." He won't say who he's voting for - if he's registered - "That's for me and a button to know."

Social Security Benefits to Rise:
Social Security benefits will go up 5.8 percent for 50 million people next year. It's the largest pay rise in more than a quarter of a century. The increase will begin in January and will mean $63 extra per month for the average retiree. The raise is double increase from January this year.

EU Firm on Climate Goals:
European Union leaders are resolved to meet their targets and timetable for addressing climate change, despite objections from some countries. Worries that given the global economic situation cutting greenhouse gas emissions will be too costly has caused some countries to threaten to block the plan. French President Sarkozy says, "The climate package is so important that we cannot simply drop it, under the pretext of a financial crisis."

Front Page: Nelson Mandela Turns 90, EU to Give Billion to Africa, Arrests in Plot Against Bush

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:00:18 -0700

Nelson Mandela Turns 90:
Marking his 90th birthday today, Nelson Mandela celebrated by urging generosity:"there are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty." He said he was tickled people wanted to celebrate the birthday "of a retired old man who no longer has power or influence".

EU to Give Billion to Africa:
The EU has a plan to give $1 billion euros of unspent EU farm subsidies in aid to African farmers. The money was allocated to EU agriculture, but hasn't been spent - sending the cash to Africa could help fix food shortages and soaring prices. Some question the move's legality, but EC President Barroso says: "The impact of high food prices is particularly severe for the world's poorest populations."
Arrests in Plot Against Bush:
Israel arrested six Arabs today for attempting to set up an al Qaeda cell in Israel and claiming that one of the men had planned to attack helicopters used during a visit by President George W. Bush. One of the suspects had allegedly used his cell phone to film the landing site of the president, and then used al Qaeda websites to ask advice in how to shoot down the helicopter. Bush's last visit to Israel was in May.

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Split: Iron Curtain Still Dividing Europe in Belarus and Lithuania

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:03:16 -0700

In Eastern Europe two villages once separated by nothing but a thin line on a map have now been cut in two by a new iron wall. Only this time the division is not communism and capitalism, but belonging or not - membership in the EU versus non-membership.

Belarus is ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko, who appears to regard economic and political reform as the kryptonite to his power. To the west of his nation lies Lithuania, now a member of the European Union and NATO and therefore beneficiary to all that membership entails: economic prosperity and political freedom. In the town of Pyatskuny Lukashenko has erected a Berlin Wall-style fence complete with Soviet-esque border guards and secret service agents to keep tabs on those living in the border region. The now two villages, which once shared a church, cemetery and other services are now hit by huge problems.

“Our hearts were left on the other side of the fence.” Said one 67 year-old woman. To find out why, read more. The woman hasn't been able to visit her husband’s grave on the Lithuanian side in two years. If she did want to visit the grave, she would have to travel ninety miles to the nearest Lithuanian consulate, pay roughly a month’s income, travel another sixty miles north to the checkpoint and then sixty miles south to reach a destination roughly 2 miles from her home.

Since Lithuania joined the EU and NATO in 2004, it has been required to toughen restrictions on Belarus hoping this pressure will force Lukashenko to free political prisoners and hold free elections. Still, there is one thing the government on either side has been able to prevent: good old fashioned hollering. A 61-year-old woman shouts through the fence to communicate with her nephew whose house is the first one on the Lithuanian side.

The divide is huge and eye-opening in our post-Berlin Wall era: on the Lithuanian side, cell phones are common while those who live in Belarus must share the one phone in the grocery store. Some in Belarus are so desperate to cross over, they survive on bread and water to save enough money to head across the line - anyone attempting to climb the fence can be jailed for up to two years.

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Front Page: Iran Declares Victory, US Strike Angers Pakistan, Canada Apologizes

CitizenSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:00:58 -0700

Iran Declares Victory: Meeting with leaders during his European farewell tour, President Bush won support yesterday to consider additional punitive sanctions against Iran if they reject an offer of incentives to suspend its uranium enrichment program. The European-backed punishment includes restrictions on its banks. Britain, France and Germany are at the forefront of European diplomacy on Iran, and Bush is seeking their support of stronger UN sanctions. Meanwhile in Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance against pressure to suspend the program, declaring victory in a televised speech saying, "with God's help today (the Iranian nation) have gained victory and the enemies cannot do a damned thing."

US Strike Angers Pakistan: Following a US-led operation in Pakistan against the Taliban that ended up killing 11 Pakistani troops along with 8 Taliban militants, Pakistan's military has condemned the air strike as a "cowardly attack". Details of the incident on the border with Afghanistan are still unclear but it comes amid rising tensions between the US and Pakistan militaries. The soldiers' deaths occurred overnight at a border post in one of Pakistan's tribal areas. A Pakistani spokesman said the attack "hit at the very basis of cooperation and sacrifice with which Pakistani soldiers are supporting the coalition in war against terror"
Canada Apologizes: Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is delivering a public apology in Parliament today to more than 80,000 students of Canadian Natives who were taken from their parents and sent to state schools. Similar to the apology made to Australia's aboriginal population, Aboriginal Canadians will get their apology, one that Harper says, they "have been waiting a very long time to hear." The Canadian act of contrition comes with compensation as well, part of a lawsuit settlement.

Eco Paradox: Clean Air Bad for Rain Forest?

LibertySugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:52 -0700

A new study claims that clean air may actually be worsening the drought in the Amazon rainforest - a region whose well being impacts the entire world's climate.

The scientists found that sun-reflective sulfate aerosols, released by coal-burning power plants, bounce light back to the sun, preventing it from hitting the Earth. Add a bunch of scientific mumbo-jumbo, and eventually the buffering impact of a concentrated amount of sulfates from the 1970s and 80s led to more rain in the Amazon. But now, the reduction in pollution, and thus rain, is one more factor leading to the loss of vegetation in the region.

So does this mean you should break out the Aqua Net hairspray? Not at all. The scientists do not recommend increasing the output of dangerous pollutants, and in fact say it is necessary to continue the decrease. In addition, the study urges more action, such as halting deforestation, in order to decrease carbon dioxide emissions.

Does this study surprise you? Are scientists just starting to figure out how Mother Nature and human activity impact the earth? Does this story make you apathetic? Confused? Or inspired to heed the scientists' recommendations that we keep reducing pollution?
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Should Cell Phones Be Banned in Public?

LibertySugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:16 -0700

The European Commission recently ruled that cell phones could be used on airplanes flying over Europe. Meanwhile, back on the ground, countries and cities are creating no cell phone zones, otherwise known as "Zen Zones."

Passengers on France's high speed railway enjoy cell phone free travel. Austria's second largest city now requires public transit riders to keep their phones on silent.

Is it possible to silence banal cell phone chatter and annoying ring tones, or are laws that aim to regulate human communication futile? Should there be a legal mandate that public space is for texting only? Feel free to share the conversations you've overheard!

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Front Page: Birdflu Outbreaks, Zimbabwe, Flying Cell Phones

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:00:40 -0700

India and South Korea are both struggling with fresh outbreaks of bird flu. In India, officials have ordered the elimination of about 20,000 birds. The outbreak is based around Bangladesh and has spread to more than half the country. Earlier this year, more than a million birds were slaughtered in the eastern state of West Bengal after an outbreak of bird flu there. In South Korea the second outbreak of the year, at a duck farm, requires the elimination of hundreds of thousands of birds. The H5N1 bird flu virus has killed more than 230 people in South East Asia since late 2003.

Nine days after the Zimbabwe presidential election, a court in Harare is due to rule on the opposition’s demand for an immediate release of the final tally. The governing party has insisted on a recount leading to further delays. A spokesman for the opposition says, “You can’t ask for the remarking of an exam whose result is not known by the student. It shows their mischief and shenanigans in trying to manipulate the poll.” The opposition has declared victory, though independent election monitors question whether he won the majority required to win outright. President Mugabe's party’s decision to push for a runoff and efforts to delay publication of the election outcome, however, makes voters fear that it is playing for time to mount a campaign of violent intimidation.
The European Commission said today they will allow cell phones to be used on planes. Under the new rules, travelers will be able to receive and make calls safely using their own mobile phones while flying all over Europe, according to the EU. The luxury will be to a very few travelers at first over fears of interfering with the aircraft's functioning. The service might cost travelers however, as the airplanes plan to carry the calls on their own network - at higher rates.

Front Page: Microsoft Fine, Turkey Must Leave, China Talks

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:04:27 -0800

The European Union has fined Microsoft a record $1.4 billion for defying sanctions imposed on it for anti-competitive behavior. The fine ruling goes back to a 2004 decision that says Microsoft is guilty of not providing key code to rival software makers. Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said, "Microsoft was the first company in 50 years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision."
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is set to tell Turkish leaders that they must conclude their current invasion of Iraq, and leave in no longer than two weeks. Turkey began this invasion into northern Iraq last week against separatist rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or the PKK. The U.S. provides Turkey with intelligence and surveillance assistance. Gates said, "It's very important that the Turks make this operation as short as possible and then leave. They have to be mindful of Iraqi sovereignty."
China has said that it will resume human rights talks with the U.S. This agreement appears to be aimed at countering potential criticism from activists ahead of the Olympic Games to be held in China this summer. The talks stalled in 2004 after the Bush administration sponsored an unsuccessful resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Commission rebuking China’s human rights record. China has warned that attempts to link Darfur with the Olympics will not help resolve the issue.

Now What? Kosovo Independence

LibertySugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:00:02 -0800

Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, which means nothing unless recognized, has split the international community. The United States, Australia, and some of Europe's major powers - Britain, France, Germany, and Italy - have offered their support to the country, despite warnings from other influential countries and EU members.

Russia, China, and at least five EU states oppose the unilateral assertion of independence. Ethnic Serbs, who consider Kosovo the birthplace of their civilization, are rallying throughout the region, and urging Russia to help Serbia. There have also been attacks on NATO and UN properties, prompting armed UN forces to step in and guard the border. The situation will undoubtedly tighten already tense US-Russian relations.

Many of the countries opposing Kosovo's independence worry that a dangerous precedent could threaten stability in their own countries. Countries like Spain, which deals with Basque and Catalan separatist, oppose unilateral declarations of independence by their internal minorities and therefore by Kosovo. Turkey, whose Kurdish minority consistently seeks independence, went against this trend by recognizing Kosovo on Monday. Some credit Kosovo's Muslim population, as well as Turkey's participation in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR), as motivation for recognition by Turkey.

For more details, click through these photos and read the captions! Do you think a negotiated independence settlement would have been better? Or, is it naive to think Serbia would ever cede Kosovo to the ethnic Albanians? And . . . do you think Palestine will follow Kosovo's lead and unilaterally declare independence?

View 10 Photos ›

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