First exam at RuG

I took the fist exam at RuG. International Economics and Trade. There are 20 MC and 4 open questions. The Multiple choice questions are more difficult than open questions. It has to explain the answer. I can't remember what is 'effective protection'.

The 4 open questions have to answer 3 of them. It is also very hard to explain the different model and different effect.

Billy left the tennis hall earlier than me. She said she waited for me outside and looked at me who looked like I was concentrated on writing the answers.

Although, i still have the last exam at next Wed, Nov 4. But tonight I had no mood to study. I decided to look for the traveling information to Duesseldorf and Cologne. I read many good blog which talks about the trip to these two places. Lei Mengzhen helped us to book the hostel. But on the other hand, Lee zhen said he can't join the trip since he has class on Fri. It was really a bad news. If I can know it earlier, maybe we can book the ticket for 4 days, which from Fri to Mon.

Today, I learned a lesson. I have to make sure how many people can join the trip before book the train ticket!

Tomorrow is the last day of October. I invited Grace to my kitchen to cook the lunch. We haven't seen each other for a long time. So it will be good to see her again. In addition, my roommate and her boyfriend may not want to stay in the kitchen tomorrow. ha ha That's much better.

Monday : wish a lucky week

I wake up early this morning to Albert Hijen. AH is my last choice to shop but I want to shop at AH this time. The bred is cost .99 euros which is fine for me. I bought melk which cost .45. But i took a risk to buy an expensive cereal. From now on, I want to lose weight and exercise more. I need to eat fruits everyday to stay healthy.

There is one bad thing that I have over spent my budget in this month.I felt frustrated about it. I should remember my goal. I should not eat the mona puddings since it cost 1 euro which is a bit expensive.

Frustated on Sunday Morning (and weekly diary)

Today the university library did not open this morning. I got up early this morning to go to library. But it was closed without mentioning why it did not open. I felt frustrated about it. I want to study in the library.

It is the 3rd week in September. I had register at ACLO and spent 47 euros for the membership. I am looking forward to take one of the sports classes at ACLO. I played volleyball with Xuen zi on Tuesday after we've finished doing part of our assignments. I think ACLO is a small sports centrum since there is few space and the reservation always be full very soon. I wish I can play tennis or volleyball with my friends next time.

I had a feeling of happiness when I got a message from facebook which my old classmates encouraged me on my studying. He is a nice. I also like Pei-Yi that she had ask me how was I so far. I wish we could meet each other at Netherlands soon next year. She will attend RSM at Rotterdam next semester.

My friend Billy is a nice girl. I've told her I don't want to eat dinner at my kitchen for my roommate and her boyfriend stayed at the kitchen. She invited me to her place to have dinner on Wednesday night. We had rice served with beef. A Chinese boy and a Germany girl had dinner with us. We talked about the prohibition of speaking Chinese in their kitchen. I think it is a interesting idea. Billy gave a good dinner experience so I will make a good dish to her next time.

I felt frustrated that I could not print out the strategic management article from school computers. I had to know why I could not print those academic articles and case study.

My team is responsible for the mini-case of Int. strategic management course. We had read a H&M case from Business Week. Cobe searched the article online. We had to design our question and analyze its globalization strategy. I had to collect more information and data in order to write my short papers.

Who knows what could happen? I went to the city hall on Thursday to register for BNA number. When I filled the form, the woman asked me if I am married. I answered no. She said 'you never know'. I laughed and found it was an interesting answer. Later that I told this thing to my friend. He said ' you have to answer ''not yet'' since ''no'' is an answer that means you will never married' . While I was considering what will I answer next time, I learnt that marriage means different here.

I was afraid that I will become fat in the end if I eat lots of the Mona puddings. I bought three different flavor Mona puddings from Super de Boer. Vanilla, strawberry and koffle. I do not like koffle. I want to buy the straplewalffle pudding next time.

Many students received the IKEA product menus on Friday. I decided to go to IKEA again and bought a small pillow and candles. Butter smelling candles are awesome. I used one and the room is full of butter cream smelling. Maybe I could sent one to Tifany, my French friend. Today she will give a a French dessert. I am so happy.

I had to finish my mini-case paper on Sunday. Right information is the key factor to contribute to my paper.

Next Saturday will be a one-day trip to Amsterdam. I really looking forward to it.

Annoyed

A problem with my roommate is her boyfriend always hanging around at our room. It makes me feel uncomfortabel and annoyed. Whenever they are together, they behave like there is no one surrounding. The boy named Cobe is not kind or friendly. He seldom listens to other people when they speak. He only says his opinions and let others to accept him or whatever.

I felt so annoyed about them. Why the housing office arrange a Chinese girl as my roommate?

Met new roommate

My roommate Lin Wei, comes from HK.
I am so glad to meet her. Hopefully we could get alone well in the following months.

Two cups of Wine

Met student manager's colleagues tonight . They have BBQ for dinner. They really like BBQ. Chloe bought red wine. I had tow cups of it.

New life in Groningen

The first thing happened as I arrived in Groningen is uncomfortable to me that my eyes keep crying and definitely not because of emotional feeling but the weather that is dry. And great! I used the printed google map to find my accommodation which took me 30 mins instead of 17 mins.

The bridge here sometimes opens in order to make ship could move forward but all cars and passengers have to stop and wait. Dutch street name confused me. The traditional buildings looked familiar everywhere which I guessed it is why I got lost easily.

I have tow times cold water shower experience after I found how to fix the problem which is just push a bottom in the kitchen. AH is a expensive market. Audi is cheaper which I like the most. The first thing I have to think in the morning is what am I going to cook and eat. I never think about it in Taiepi before. Cooking is my new lesson.

I met a Chinese PhD female studnet in my accommondation. I felt so lucky to meet her. She taught me how to cook and share her experience of living in Groningen. We had dinner together sometimes at night. It is always a good thing to meet a Chinese. Keeping it in mind.

I sent some postcard to friends in Taiwan including my old elementary school classmate. I have been think of him since last time we meet. I duuno. I have to help myself to wake up from the sweet dream. Reminding myself to stay strong.

A Sweet Dream Only for One Night

It seemed a dream to me and only for one night. Meeting an old Friend on this Monday that I never ever, ever, ever expect this was a sweet experience.

Only a drink and a drive, these were the sweetest things like I was been spoiled or pampered. I was shocked and guilty that I did not believe that I deserved these treating. The reason is maybe that I am going to leave Taiwan, study abroad for 1 year, and it is just a hospitable treat by a good, old friend who want to say goodbye.

He is a old friend who haven't meet for 2 years . It is the desire that want to see him again encouraged me to ask for a short talking and meeting. I didn't regard it as a date. I did understand we are friends. Yeah, this is an alarm or a principle that reminds me to be sensible. Keeping me to be a good girl.

The talking lasted for hours. Most of them are just funny things and experiences in school life. I tried not to see my watch and ignored the time. Sometimes, I was so childish to ask silly questions such as how to wash clothes that I regrated to ask him. Sometimes, I felt strange that he always knew what I was going to say. He is mature and independent. A good friend at the same age as me and a mentor to be.

Maybe it was because we haven't meet for months that it needed time to update and knew each other's life. It was a good and happy time. I felt so sad after the time was over. Nevertheless, I am so glad that I am going to Europe next month. If I did not become an exchange student, there might never be a chance to meet him again.

Dream is always temporary and could only exist in memory. But I will make through it. I will stay strong and be tougher. I am not a princess but a tough girl.

Fountain is always a unique place for me where I always could think of him.

This month seemed so hard to get through for me. Time went so slowly. I worked hard and tried to be busy and exhausted in order not to make me feel the time went so slowly. I can not believe I will be exchange student and study in Europe next month for 1 year.

August seems never would come. I still can not believe I am going to explore a new world. growing , learning, listening, meeting new friends.

All in all, what I need in this moment is traveling. Learning new things and experiences.
Stay strong. living and laughing at the moment.

Why Netherlands?

my friends or some people who I am not famililar ask me why do you go to Netherlands?

Recenetly, I found an answer to it.

It was when I was a child, I thought another name of Holland is called "Neverland".

Yes. "Neverland" is actually a place from a stroy of Peter Pan.

I used to believe that Peter Pan lives in this country when I was a kid.

Someday, I wish I can visit this country and see Peter Pan.

As time goes by, I grew up , and my English is getting better and better. Certainly, I realized Holland is also called "Netherlands" in stead of the fantacy name "Neverland".

However, the desire that go to Holland someday still exists in my mind. I decided to apply the exchange program to RuG, University of Groningen.

what do you think about this story?

I felt self-loathing

I felt self-loathing....

Becuse I made myself very busy and exhausted everyday.

The more I felt self-loathing, the less I felt hopeful.

Maybe the main problem is I do not concentrate the core of lives but is annoied by trivials.

geez...

All in all, I wish August could come faster...

China's youth post-Tiananmen: Apathy a fact or front?

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- They're known as the "post 1980s" kids or the "Tiananmen-plus-20" generation: 200 million-strong, Web-savvy, pop-culture-conscious and decidedly apolitical.

As the world observes the 20th anniversary of the bloody crackdown on Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, pro-democracy advocates abroad lament how little Chinese youth today know or care about the student-led movement that ended with the deaths of hundreds when tanks rumbled through the capital's streets and troops opened fire.
But what is lost in the generalization is whether today's political apathy is a fact or a front.
"Politics is not a game that we want to play or we can play," said "Holly," a 21-year-old college student, who like the rest of the people quoted in this article, agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
"'Politics is the dirtiest kind of business. Stay as far as you can from it,' says my grandfather," she added. "So, we better focus on something that we are in control of. Practicality is what today's China is all about."

Indeed, if the generation today is focused more on individual success, it is because they are much better off and risk losing much more than their predecessors.
At the time of the Tiananmen uprising, China was isolated from the outside world, with skyrocketing inflation.

The government also makes it clear that dissent is not tolerated. Those who publicly challenged authority have been thrown in jail with harsh sentences.
"What happened then helped me to protect myself and my loved ones from ignorant sacrifices, which are extremely important," said "Rodney," a 25-year-old professional who works for a company abroad.
"You know what? The most foolish thing is to start a fight with a mad man. So you don't let the mad man see you. You just maybe throw stones at him, without letting him know."
For youths disillusioned with the system, that venue today is the Internet.
The nation's online population is the world's largest: 298 million users -- about the size of the entire United States.
Instead of plastering posters on college campuses, the agents of change are planting seeds in the blogosphere.
"You want to see where the freedom of expression movements are in China? Twenty years ago, it was on Tiananmen Square. Today it is on the Internet," said Xiao Qiang of the China Internet Project at the University of California, Berkeley, which looks at the effect of the Web on China's media and politics.

"Yes, the Internet is the greatest invention ever," said "Jessica," a 22-year-old recent graduate who works at a film studio. "It is like the combination of a time machine and a space machine. Not quite, but close enough."
Chinese law forbids the use of the Web to incite hatred and division or to promote the overthrow of the government. The government employs thousands to monitor sites, filtering for unwelcome content.
Keywords like "Tiananmen" and "Tibet" are tracked. Web sites, such as the video-sharing site YouTube, and media outlets, including CNN.com, are routinely blocked.

On Tuesday, Chinese censors blocked access to the micro-blogging site Twitter, as well as the photo sharing site Flickr and others.

My comment

The author depicted the youth, or post-1980's kids are become apthay to politics. In my opinion, it is because they were taught to not disucss politic. It is just like my parents and grandparents who told me that politic is the darkest.

I am 21 year-old this year and the so-called post 1980s kid. Although I am a Taiwanese, I aslo want to see China government could change to more demoncracy some day.

It is easy to understand why Beijing government blocked the Twitter or yutube because China has 298 internet users.

Iran's Facebook access restored

Iran has restored access to Facebook, the social networking site which had been blocked since Saturday.

Media close to reformists had suggested the site was suspended to prevent its use by backers of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.

On Monday President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sidestepped questions about whether the authorities had ordered the blocking ahead of the 12 June election.

He said officials had no need to shut down any sites.

'Disappointment'

Correspondents say websites like Facebook have become an important way for candidates to mobilise younger voters in Iran ahead of the election.

Facebook, which says it has 175 million users worldwide, had expressed its disappointment over the disruption.

It said the problems had come "at a time when voters are turning to the internet as a source of information about election candidates and their positions".

Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister, is seen as one of the leading challengers to the incumbent, President Ahmadinejad.

Other candidates are a former speaker of parliament, Mehdi Karroubi, and an ex-head of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohsen Rezai.

My comment

The social web site is increasingly influential in young people's social network. It is reasonably that we will get election information from here. 

U.S. soldier kills 5 comrades in Iraq, officials say

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier fired on his fellow troops at a counseling center at a base outside Baghdad, Iraq, on Monday, U.S. officials said, killing five people in the worst such attack of the six-year-old war.

The shooting occurred at 2 p.m. at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad International Airport, two senior defense officials said. Though initial reports indicated the attacker was killed in the incident, the U.S. command in Baghdad said late Monday a suspect in the killings was in custody.

Neither the suspect nor any of the victims had been identified, but a defense official with access to the latest reports on the incident told CNN that the suspect had been a patient at the treatment center.

"Any time we lose one of our own, it affects us all," Col. John Robinson, a U.S. military spokesman, said in a written statement. "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of all the service members involved in this terrible tragedy."

In Washington, the White House said President Obama was "shocked" by the attack.

"The president's heart goes out to the families and friends of all the service members involved in this horrible tragedy," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "He was shocked by the news of this incident and will press to ensure that we fully understand what happened at the clinic, and that we are doing everything we can to ensure that our men and women in uniform are protected."

The president planned to bring up the issue in a meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Gibbs said. And Gates expressed his own "horror and deep regret" Monday afternoon. 

"We are still in the process of gathering information on exactly what happened," Gates said. "But if the preliminary reports are confirmed, such a tragic loss of life at the hands of our own forces is a cause for great and urgent concern. And I can assure you that it will get this department's highest priority attention."

Camp Liberty is tightly guarded, and U.S. troops are required to clear their weapons of ammunition while on the base. The only service members who have loaded weapons are those guarding high-ranking officers and military police.

Monday's attack marks the sixth incident in which a service member was killed by a fellow service member since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

My comment

It's quite madness. The war seems to go to a nonsense situation. There might be many stressful and depressed soldiers like him in Iraq. The war is merely lasting too long but not make any benefit for the people in Iraq or U.S.

Young entrepreneur start up

I want to show these expiring video and share to people.

How representative will the European elections be?

When a pandemic isn't a pandemic

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- When the World Health Organization raised its influenza pandemic alert from a Phase 4 to a Phase 5 last week, there was a bit of a gasp heard round the world.

After all, Phase 5 "is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent," according to WHO.

"All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans," the organization's director-general, Dr. Margaret Chan, said Wednesday. "After all, it really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic."

But the word "pandemic" isn't quite as scary as it sounds, explained David Ozonoff, professor of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health.

"When people hear the words 'pandemic' and 'flu,' the first thing that comes to mind is 1918, which was a real horror show," Ozonoff said, referring to the flu pandemic that killed some 50 million people 91 years ago.

But you can have a pandemic without a large number of deaths, he said."The word pandemic refers to how widely dispersed a disease is, not to how severe the disease is," he said

Confusion about the meaning of "pandemic" is understandable, Ozonoff said, considering the definition of the word is "not set in stone."

Until Monday morning, the WHO had a definition on its Web site saying that a pandemic flu causes "enormous numbers of deaths and illness." After a CNN reporter pointed this out, WHO spokeswoman Natalie Boudou called back to say the definition was in error and had been pulled from the WHO Web site.

"It was a mistake, and we apologize for the confusion," she said. "(That definition) was put up a while ago and paints a rather bleak picture and could be very scary."

The correct definition is that "pandemic" indicates outbreaks in at least two of the regions into which WHO divides the world, but has nothing to do with the severity of the illnesses or the number of deaths.

Based on lessons from the past, "influenza may cause mild disease in affluent countries, but more severe disease, with higher mortality, in developing countries," Chan said at Wednesday's news conference.

There have been three influenza pandemics in this century, said Andrew Pekosz, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. The other two, in 1957 and 1968, also were caused by new viruses to which no one had immunity, but didn't cause nearly the number of deaths as the one in 1918.

"I think people need to be reminded that this current H1N1 outbreak is going to resemble much more the pandemics in 1957 and 1968, where there was an increase in deaths from other years, but nothing like the millions of deaths we saw in 1918," Pekosz said.

My comment

The news gave a clear definition of the word " pandemic" which might not refer to severe death but a virus that disperse widely. The news compared H1N1 flu with the pandemic in 1918 and 1957. While the swine flu is similar to 1957 which is also cause by new virus, the pandemic in 1918 is worse than swine flu. Once we understand the meaning of the word, we may not act too exaggeratedly to this outbreak. 

Since Taiwan have experienced SARS in 2003, our government and people took action earilier than other places or countries which I feel much confident and less scared the spread of the swine flu.  But still, I would not forget how SARS impacted me. I In 2003, I had to take the entrance exam for senior high school and the exam was delayed very late because of SARS. Many teenagers in my age had to studied and waited for the exam. I was not happy in that time. I felt stressful.  

Royal bus attack: driver was a 'quiet man'

The 38-year-old man arrested for driving his car into the crowd watching a royal parade in Apeldoorn on Thursday, killing five people, was described as a 'quiet' man by neighbours.

The Telegraaf reports that the man, Karst T, worked as a security guard but lost his job several weeks ago.

He had given up his house in the Gelderland village of Huissen because he could no longer afford the rent, the Telegraaf said. New tenants were due to move into the property on May 1. 

My comment

This man might show one of potential worrires that the high unemployement rate and economic recession triggered. And what he have done is terrible and sad. Whenever hard times happen to everyone individuals,we have choices and the ways to get through.  I think the man might feel alone and can not find someone to ask help, so he determine to do this and let everyone know him ro hear his voice.    

Iran accuses Israeli leaders of war crimes

(CNN) -- A conference of Islamic prosecutors in Iran worked Wednesday to draft an indictment against Israeli leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.
The charges stem from Israel's late-December offensive into Gaza against Hamas militants. The Israeli military has been accused of using excessive and indiscriminate force in civilian areas.

Israel is "a regime that only understands the language of violence and force," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the gathering, in calling for the prosecution of Israeli "criminals."

"I am confident that there will come a day when all Zionist criminals will be brought to justice," he said on the second day of the conference in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

The Iranian president regularly rails against Israel and has called for the Jewish state's elimination.

Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said: "The day when this conference will start dealing with human rights in the countries that are members of this organization will be the day that their claims concerning Israel will be deserved to be heard, not before. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, let alone commit suicide bombings."

"The accusations themselves are nothing more than the hysterical, hostile coverage of the media in these countries and not based on solid facts," he continued.

Human Rights Watch, in a report released last month, said there was evidence that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza by firing white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas. Israel has rejected that claim.

Israel also has said that the offensive was to defend against repeated rocket attacks by Palestinians.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday its forces "operated in accordance with international law" during recent fighting in Gaza, but said there were a few incidents in which "intelligence or operational errors" occurred.

This is the conclusion of probes that emerged from Operation Cast Lead, in which Israel was broadly criticized for its actions in Gaza.

Phosphorus shells can be used to create a smokescreen for troops. In creating the diversion, the element ignites when exposed to oxygen and can cause severe burns.

The Israeli offensive was launched December 27 and ended January 17 with a cease-fire. Of the 1,453 people estimated killed in the conflict, 1,440 were Palestinian, including 431 children, a U.N. report recently said.

Thirteen Israelis died -- three civilians and six soldiers were killed by Hamas, and four soldiers were killed by friendly fire -- the report said.

A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister called the U.N. report an example of the "one-sided and unfair" attitude of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which had requested it.

The two days of meetings in the Iranian capital have included more than 200 senior judicial officials from the Organization of the Islamic Conference -- an association of 56 states.

The organization might ask the U.N. International Court of Justice to charge Israeli leaders with crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. The court would not be obligated to act.

My comment
馬鹿！！ばか！！Baka means ‘stupid’ in Japanese.
Israel and Iran are both the worst communicators in the world when they all prosecute the other one is the real criminal. When it comes to study the long-lasting conflict within Jewish and Arabians, we have to review the history again, although some people think that Arabians naturally oppose to Jewish, they fail to see that it is U.N or U.S make the turmoil more serious.

The most persuasive point is that in 1947, United Nations approved the UN Partition Plan (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181) on November 29, 1947, dividing the country into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. Could you find the controversial part? This is exactly not mean to unite but to divide.
Honestly speaking, who could come up with this pathetic solution??

At April 22nd, Islamic prosecutors draft indictment against Israeli leaders over Gaza offensive. The charges stem form Israel’s late-December offensive in Gaza against Hamas militants. While the spokesman of Israeli Foreign Ministry on the other hand, said these charges are not based on solid facts but merely hostile coverage of media.
Nevertheless, from my point of view, saying that Israel is the same as Iran would be to exaggerate. But the resemblances are very close.

U.S Politic

Obama: 'We can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction'
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (CNN) -- President Obama said Friday he is seeking "a new beginning" in U.S. relations with Cuba.
Before addressing the representatives of 34 countries at the Summit of the Americas, Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez saw each other and shook hands.

"Every one of our nations has a right to follow its own path," Obama told the assembly. "But we all have a responsibility to see that the people of the Americas have the ability to pursue their own dreams in democratic societies.

"Toward that end, the United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba."

Obama arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday evening for the Summit of the Americas, a key meeting of hemispheric powers. Although it was not represented at the talks, the subject of Cuba dominated the president's speech.
n prepared remarks, Obama said that "decades of mistrust" must be overcome, but noted that he has already loosened restrictions that limited Americans from traveling to visit relatives in Cuba and from sending money to them.

Obama lifted all restrictions Monday on the ability of individuals to visit relatives in Cuba, as well as to send them remittances.

That may be just the beginning. "I am prepared to have my administration engage with the Cuban government on a wide range of issues -- from human rights, free speech and democratic reform to drugs, migration and economic issues," he said.
"Let me be clear: I am not interested in talking for the sake of talking. But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction."

Obama's comments represent a significant shift in a U.S. policy that has remained largely unchanged since 1962, when the U.S. government imposed a trade embargo with Havana.

They come a day after Cuban President Raul Castro said he was prepared to discuss "everything, everything, everything" with the United States.

Castro told a summit of leftist Latin American leaders gathered in Venezuela, "We are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners," Castro said Thursday.

Havana played a major role in Obama's remarks, where he called for rejection of "stale debates" that have undermined opportunities to forge new partnerships.
"They would have us make the false choice between a rigid, state-run economy and unbridled and unregulated capitalism; between blame for right-wing paramilitaries or left-wing insurgents; between sticking to inflexible policies with regard to Cuba or denying the full human rights that are owed to the Cuban people.

"I didn't come here to debate the past -- I came here to deal with the future. As neighbors, we have a responsibility to each other and to our citizens. And by working together, we can take important steps forward to advance prosperity, security and liberty."

Chavez's press office said Obama walked up to Chavez to greet him, a meeting it called "historic."

"President Chavez expressed his hope that relations between the two countries would change," the press office said, quoting Chavez as having told his U.S. counterpart, "Eight years ago with this same hand I greeted Bush. I want to be your friend." It said Obama then thanked Chavez.

Chavez once referred to former President Bush as "the devil."

On other matters, Obama, who said he is committed to fighting inequality "and creating prosperity from the bottom up," announced a Microfinance Growth Fund for the hemisphere and proposed creating an Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas "to promote renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

He also vowed to "take aggressive action" to slash demand for illegal drugs, and to halt the movement of arms and money to Mexico.

Quote

"We are prepared, wherever they want, to discuss everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners," Castro said Thursday.

My comment
I think Castro understands the relation between U.S and south America more than Persident Obama. I deeply believe that President Obama is too optmistic to his belief on creating a new relation to south America.
Creating a new relation can mean to open new discussing room toward many controvercial issue, such as human rights, illegal immergraion, and illegal drugs.

Castro and President Obama are from different political generation. As Castro has more foreign policy experiences than President Of U.S, south American countries certainly are well-prepared to discuss everything.
However, President Obama, who is another political generation, has less foreign politic experience, would be seemed too realism or less practical comparing to the experienced former leader.

N.Korea: Nuclear tension

SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Sunday in what U.S. and South Korean officials deemed a provocative act.
While the United States and South Korea confirmed the rocket launch, the payload of the rocket remains unclear. North Korea has said the rocket was to carry a satellite into space, but the United States, South Korea and other nations fear it could be a missile with a warhead attached.

"With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement after the launch.

"We will immediately consult with our allies in the region, including Japan and (South Korea), and members of the U.N. Security Council to bring this matter before the Council," Obama added. "I urge North Korea to abide fully by the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and to refrain from further provocative actions."
The council scheduled a meeting for Sunday afternoon after Japan's representative to the United Nations, Yukio Takasu, sent a letter requesting an urgent meeting in response to the launch.

A spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he "regrets that, against strong international appeal, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) went ahead with its planned launch. Given the volatility in the region, as well as a stalemate in interaction among the concerned parties, such a launch is not conducive to efforts to promote dialogue, regional peace and stability."

A senior Obama administration official in Washington confirmed that the rocket did clear Japan.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura told reporters after the launch that the country's military was not forced to intercept any missile, which it had pledged to do if necessary. Preliminary data show that two objects, possibly boosters from the rocket, apparently fell around Japan, one in the Sea of Japan and one in the Pacific Ocean.
Western nations fear that North Korea plans a ballistic missile test rather than a satellite launch, but the Obama administration's special envoy to the Six-Party Talks, Stephen Bosworth, said last week that it didn't matter if the North Koreans were trying to put a satellite in space or testing a ballistic missile that could threaten Japan or the United States.
U.S. Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement late Saturday.

"It is alarming that North Korea carried out this missile launch in direct defiance of the international community," Berman said. "The test is an unnecessary provocation that raises tensions in the region, and I urge the North Koreans to stop using their missile and WMD programs to threaten their neighbors and the rest of the world."

My comment
N.Korea carried out its word finally and launched rockets. I have been waiting whether it will be really launch a satellite or something. Maybe China supports N.Korea, I suppose. But it is now listen to what western countries will decide what to do next. And it only needs to wait and see.

G-20 summit

At a glance: G20 agreement

G20 world leaders have revealed their communiqué to tackle the global economic crisis. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the $1.1 trillion deal as he closed the G20 summit. Here is a summary of the key points:

FINANCIAL REGULATION

A new Financial Stability Board, with a strengthened mandate, will replace the Financial Stability Forum
Financial regulation and oversight will be extended to all financial institutions, instruments and markets
This includes bringing hedge funds within the global regulatory net for the first time
Members are committed to implementing tough new rules on pay and bonuses at a global level
International accounting standards will be set
Credit rating agencies will be regulated in order to remove their conflicts of interest
A common approach to cleaning up banks' toxic assets has been agreed

TAX HAVENS
There will be sanctions against tax havens that do not transfer information on request
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has published a list of countries assessed by the Global Forum against the international standard for exchange of tax information

IMF

Resources available to the International Monetary Fund will be trebled to $750bn
This includes a new overdraft facility, or special drawing rights allocation, of $250bn
Additional resources of $6bn from agreed IMF gold sales will be made available for lending to the poorest countries
The G20 also supports increased lending to the world's poorest countries of at least $100bn by the multilateral development banks

GLOBAL TRADE

There will be a commitment of $250bn of support for trade finance made over the next two years
This will be made available through export credit and investment agencies, as well as through multilateral development banks
National regulators will be asked to make use of available flexibility in capital requirements for trade finance

PROTECTIONISM

The G20 has pledged to resist protectionism
There will be a commitment to naming and shaming countries that breach free trade rules
The G20 will notify the World Trade Organization (WTO) of any measures that constrain worldwide capital flows
The G20 has called on the WTO to monitor and report publicly on these undertakings on a quarterly basis

FISCAL STIMULUS

Although there is no new fiscal stimulus, Gordon Brown said G20 countries are already implementing "the biggest macroeconomic stimulus the world has ever seen" - an injection of $5tn by the end of next year

G-20 summit

G-20 pumps $1 trillion into beating recession

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Leaders of the world's largest economies agreed on Thursday to a package worth more than $1 trillion to tackle the global economic crisis. U.S. President Barack Obama called the deal "a turning point in our pursuit of global economic recovery." The plan calls for reform of the international banking system and the injection of more than $1 trillion into the world financial system.

The Group of 20 is taking "unprecedented steps" to attack the global economic downturn, stimulate growth and expand loans to troubled nations, Obama said at the close of the group's meeting in London.

"The challenge is clear," the U.S. president said. "The global economy is contracting. Trade is shrinking. Unemployment is rising. The international financial system is nearly frozen."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown heralded the emergence of a "new world order" Thursday following the release of what he called an "unprecedented" package of measures to tackle the crisis.

The deal agreed by the leaders of the world's largest economies included reform of the international banking system and the injection of more than $1 trillion into the world financial system. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had voiced concerns prior to the summit about the wisdom of pumping further public money into economies already in recession, welcomed Thursday's agreement -- though hinted at unresolved disagreements behind the scenes.

There had been concerns that a rift was opening up between the approach being championed by the U.S. and Britain -- more economic stimulus -- and that favored by France and Germany -- more banking regulations.

Sarkozy said the agreement represented "great progress" on reform of financial institutions and said "a page had been turned." Merkel described the deal as "a very, very good, almost historic compromise." The six-point plan includes banking reform measures and more than $1 trillion to be spent on restoring credit, growth and jobs, as well as measures clamping down on tax havens and a commitment to build a green and sustainable economy. Much of the G-20 communique issued at the end of the London summit restated promises and goals that international leaders had made earlier, relying on language such as "we remain committed" and "we reaffirm our historic commitment."

But Brown said: "Our message is clear and certain. We believe that in this new global age our prosperity is indivisible. We believe global problems require global solutions," Brown said.

"I think a new world order is emerging and with it the foundations of a new and progressive era of international cooperation."

Brown said the new rescue package, which includes a commitment to treble the resources available to the International Monetary Fund to $750 billion, amounted to "the largest macro economic stimulus the world has ever seen."

Along with existing national stimulus measures, Brown said efforts to bolster economies amounted to more than $5 trillion.

My comment

It seems to me that this outcome is unpredictable in some way. I was expecting China to speak something. I also found that Japan will lend 1bn dollars to IMF, whereas the EU will also lend 1bn to IMF. It seems wield to me since Japan has the lowest confidence on trade and its GDP growth also lower than past years, then how come it still can lend money to IMF? Maybe western countries want Japan to do it. Or maybe Japan voluntarily decided to lend money.

 

 

G-20 SUMMIT

U.S.-China relations in focus at 'G-2' summit

By Jaime FlorCruz
Beijing Bureau Chief

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- If money is power, China is now in a powerful position to play a critical role at the Group of 20 summit in London.So powerful, in fact, that some analysts speak of a "G-2", referring to the first meeting between the new U.S. president and his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G-20. What matters most in the G-20, some say, is Barack Obama and Hu Jintao's meeting on the eve of the summit. "This is a summit of symbolism, where the meeting itself is the message," said China analyst Victor Gao.

To be sure, the closest U.S. allies are Great Britain in Europe and Japan in Asia. But with its growing economic and military clout, China is now a major player at the G-20.

China "appears to be actively setting the agenda," said Glenn Maguire, economist at the investment bank Societe Generale. China is awash with cash, its economy is still growing and its banking system is solvent. It is seeking a bigger role as global powers seek to reshape the economic and financial framework."It's almost impossible for China to engineer enough of an increase in domestic consumption to make up for the contraction in demand that we're seeing in Europe and the United States," said Michael Pettis, who teaches economics at Peking University. Put simply, Hu Jintao needs President Obama to succeed with his economic prescriptions -- and vice versa.

Such a congruence of goals is viewed positively in Beijing. "The degree of close U.S.-China cooperation in the process of coping with the global financial crisis will directly affect how fast the global economy can extricate from the difficult time," said a commentary in Global Times, a state-run Chinese newspaper.Rather than alluding to a goodbye to the U.S. dollar, Zhou may as well be making a case -- implicitly -- for including the (Chinese) renminbi into the list of currencies when the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank work on the SDR in the future," Zha explained.

Meanwhile, China hopes the G-20 meeting will reach a consensus on how to deal with the global crisis.Said Victor Gao: "It is equally important to identify the root causes, and make fundamental changes to the international financial system, including cross-border financial regulation, increasing transparency, bringing the hedge funds into the regulatory framework, enhancing risk management, and preventing countries from excessive and irresponsible financial and budgetary activities," Gao said. Pointing the finger squarely at the United States, he said China hopes the U.S. will learn from its mistakes to avoid a repeat of the crisis.

Before leaving Beijing for London, President Hu Jintao remained circumspect. "We will continue our contribution to international economic development," he said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. He called for efforts to resist trade protectionism while also calling for a revamp of the international financial system. 

My comment

This week's London Summit brings together the leaders of the world's 20 largest economic powers, known as the Group of 20, to discuss the global financial crisis and decide new measures to set the world on a more stable economic footing.

World Affair

Lights go out across planet for Earth Hour
(CNN) -- Lights were going out across the world on Saturday as millions of homes and businesses in major cities went dark for one hour in a symbolic gesture to highlight concerns over climate change
In Australia, floodlights of the Sydney Opera House were extinguished as the city's iconic harbor kicked off events for Earth Hour, a day-long energy-saving marathon stretching through 88 countries and 24 time zones.
The event's Web site reported that hundreds of people lined the harbour for a glimpse of the dimming skyline at 8.30 pm -- the local time that nearly 4,000 participating cities around the world were expected to switch off non-essential lights.
Sydney became the birthplace of the Earth Hour campaign in 2007 when 2.2 million turned off their lights, igniting a grass roots movement that has become a global phenomenon.
In China, illuminations at major buildings including the "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium and the Water Cube were extinguished as 20 cities joined in, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Other landmarks around the world expected to join the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored event were the Egyptian pyramids, Vatican, Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Acropolis in Athens and the Las Vegas casino strip.
Earth Hour events go off to an unofficial start in the remote Chatham Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean where locals switched off their diesel generators, organizers said. Shortly afterwards, 44 New Zealand cities and town joined in the event.
Organizers say they hope this year's event will send a message to world leaders meeting Copenhagen in December for a major summit on climate change.
"We are asking one billion people to take part in what is essentially the first global vote for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and casting a vote for earth," said executive director Andy Ridley.


My comment
Earth hour events began two years ago in 2007. I remembered Soochow University had turned off some lights on downtown campus for one hour. There are more and more cities joined the events. I am glad to see Beijing also participated in them. Beijing is now a international city and a metropolitan city. It showed that its residents have the awareness of global warming.

QUOTE

We have fallen into the habit of taking the term 'toxic' a bit too literally

Stephanie Flanders, BBC economics editor

U.S Economy

Fed pumps $1.2tn into US economy
The US Federal Reserve says it will buy almost $1.2 trillion (£843bn) worth of debt to help boost lending and promote economic recovery.
It said it would start buying long-term government debt and expand purchases of mortgage-related debt.
The Federal Reserve said it hopes the measures will boost mortgage lending and the struggling housing market by lowering interest rates on mortgages and other forms of consumer debt.
"This is not only going to keep mortgage rates low for a long period of time," said Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com.
"The mere announcement may produce a honeymoon effect and bring mortgage rates down to even lower levels in the coming days."
The US central bank also kept interest rates unchanged at close to zero after its two-day policy meeting.
Japan said earlier on Wednesday it would step up its purchases of government debt.
"Job losses, declining equity and housing wealth, and tight credit conditions have weighed on consumer sentiment and spending," the Fed said.
All tools
The Fed said it would employ "all available tools" to promote economic recovery.

The biggest surprise was the announcement that the Fed would buy up to $300bn worth of government debt, known as US Treasuries, over the next six months.
It also said it would buy an additional $750bn of mortgage-backed securities to boost mortgage lending, bringing total purchases of this type to $1.25 trillion.
It added that it would buy a further $100bn in debt issued by government-sponsored agencies like Freddie Mac, which supports the mortgage market.
"This is a pretty dramatic move," said James Caron, head of global rates research at Morgan Stanley in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 90.88 points, or 1.23%, to end at 7,486.58 points, reversing early losses.
The move boosted banks and financial shares, with Citigroup up 23% and Bank of America vaulting 22% higher.
However, the announcement hurt the dollar, which hit a two-month low against the euro on fears that the measures would undermine the currency.
The yields payable to holders of government bonds also fell sharply.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.5% percent from 3.01% - its biggest one-day slide since the Wall Street crash of 1987.

My Comment
Last week, US dollars fail and made Taiwan's currency NTD increase to $1 to 33.8. It was because U.S government bought its bonds with big amount. According to the basic monetary policy, the government usually do not buy largely of its bonds instead US sold bonds to foreign government.
The movement did do good to U.S stock which the Dow Jones industrial average gained 90.88 points, or 1.23%.
I think the government is doing the right thing. But the policy will influence Taiwan's exports and inports which the price of our product become expensive when sell to foreign countruies.

UN NEWS

Global crises, energy, Afghanistan top agenda at UN-organized Central Asia forum
13 March 2009
The impact of the global financial crisis, problems concerning water and energy supplies and developments in Afghanistan were high on the agenda at a United Nations-organized seminar that brought Central Asian nations together to address current challenges.
The meeting was organized by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), established in 2007 to help the countries of the region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and environmental degradation, before they become costlier and more difficult to control.

The two-day meeting, which began on 10 March, brought together government officials, experts and academics, among others, to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, for what a senior UN official called a “necessary and timely” gathering amid important developments in the world and in the region.

“The participants acknowledged that an individual approach is not a viable solution, that it is important to find shared solutions,” Miroslav Jenca, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of UNRCCA, told the UN News Centre.

The need to work together in facing challenges was especially underscored in the context of dealing with the ongoing economic and financial crisis. Mr. Jenca noted that some countries might be tempted to find solutions taking into account their national interests only, and not considering the interests of the whole region.

Participants at the meeting, which also included representatives from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Turkey, Russia, France, Slovakia and the United States, recognized this as a “dangerous tendency,” he said, and they agreed that regional cooperation was vital in order to find viable solutions.

The effects have included the devaluation of national currencies and a curtailing of projects due to lack of funding. The downturn has also affected labour migration, with migrants being unable to find enough jobs in other countries, or if they can find jobs, they are being paid less, all of which lead to a decrease in remittances, he said.

In addition, problems related to water management and energy supplies are a major challenge for the region, which as a whole has enough water and enough energy. “The problem is how to find agreement among the five countries in order to use these resources for the benefit of all countries in the region,” stated Mr. Jenca, who took up his post last June.

“The role of the leadership of the countries is extremely important in order to ensure sustainable development, and they bear primary responsibility for socio-economic development and also for addressing the crisis,” he stated.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30185&Cr=central+asia&Cr1=

My Comment
The UN is concerning water and energy supplies in Afghanistan. Because of global financial crisis, lower economic developed regions suffer devastated. Those people are originally live in poor environment where recently become worse and worse. UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) started to discuss these regions and consider the solution should be a shared idea. While most world news mainly focus on U.S or China’s economic news, I think, it is also important to know other places such as Afghanistan and eastern Euro. Insufficient water and energy supplies is more serious than housing debt or corporate toxic debt.

QUOTE

Wen Jiabao: "We are concerned about the safety of our assets"

"I'd like to take this opportunity here to implore the United States... to honour its words, stay a credible nation and ensure the safety of Chinese assets," he said.

Understanding Pakistan's latest turmoil

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Barely a year after the country celebrated its return to democracy, Pakistan is ensnared in a new political crisis.
Thousands of lawyers planned a four-day march to the country's capital, Islamabad, on Thursday, demanding that the government immediately reinstate judges whom the previous president ousted.
The protesters plan a sit-in at the parliament building on Monday, and say they will continue their demonstrations indefinitely until their demands are met.
At the same time, the country's main opposition leader and his supporters have joined in the nationwide protests, but for reasons of their own.

The government responded by banning political demonstrations in two of the country's biggest provinces -- Punjab and Sindh. It also detained several hundred activists Wednesday.
The political chaos has forced the government's attention away from a deadly fundamentalist insurgency in its tribal areas and an economy that's on the verge of collapse.
To understand the reasons behind Pakistan's latest political chaos, one needs to keep three central characters in mind:
President Asif Ali Zardari: He is the head of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which garnered the most votes in parliamentary elections held last year.
Nawaz Sharif: He heads the second-biggest party in the country, the Pakistan Muslim League -- N (PML-N). Sharif and Zardari are bitter rivals.
Pervez Musharraf: He is the former president of Pakistan who assumed power in a bloodless coup. He stepped down in August just as a coalition comprised of parties opposed to him stepped up efforts to oust him.

What does the turmoil mean for Pakistan?
The renewed tensions threaten to take the focus away from the government's attempts to quash an escalating pro-Taliban insurgency in the country.
At the same time, Pakistan's economy is in shambles. The worsening security situation is part of the reason. Rising food and oil prices have also contributed to the crisis.
In November, the International Monetary Fund approved a $7.6 billion loan to Pakistan to help the South Asian country of 170 million people avoid an economic collapse.
Many in Pakistan worry that the latest turmoil could once again force the army on to the streets if it worsens.
In its 61-year history, Pakistan has been under army rule more than half the time. For now, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani has said he will not interfere in political matters.

My comment

Whenever the economic is in crisis and people can not get drinking water and food, there are military and powerful man show and step onto the political stage. But the tyranny always could not sovle the problem which give people efficient method to survive.

Somalia Pirates Problem

Japan destroyers set sail on anti-piracy mission
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Two Japanese destroyers set sail Saturday on an anti-piracy mission off Somalia, the Japanese defense ministry said, marking the first policing action for the country's Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Because of restrictions in Japan's constitution, the nation's military is limited to a "self-defense" role.
The Japanese Cabinet approved the mission Friday. The MSDF's major overseas missions have focused on background support, such as transport and refueling, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.
MSDF members aboard the destroyers may fire warning shots if they encounter pirates. However, under Japanese law they are not allowed to harm the pirates except in self-defense, Kyodo reported.

The Japanese government submitted an anti-piracy bill to the Diet, Japan's parliament, on Friday which would provide the MSDF more latitude against pirates. It would allow the MSDF to fire on boats that close in on commercial ships after repeated warnings, Kyodo reported.

The bill would also enable the MSDF to protect any ship, including those without a Japanese connection -- a provision government officials say is needed to fulfill Japan's international obligations, Kyodo said.

Japan Coast Guard officers are aboard the destroyers to process judicial matters, including collecting evidence and handling suspects, in the event that the vessels encounter pirates, Kyodo reported.
The move comes after Somali pirates released a Japanese-owned vessel that was hijacked in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden in November, according to a nongovernmental group that monitors piracy. The ship was released last month.

Roughly 400 MSDF personnel and eight coast guard officers are aboard the two destroyers, each of which carry two SH-60K patrol helicopters and two speedboats, officials told Kyodo.
The 4,650-ton Sazanami and 4,550-ton Samidare destroyers left their base in the southern port city of Kure after a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Taro Aso and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, Kyodo reported.
Once the destroyers reach the Gulf of Aden in two to three weeks, they will escort vessels linked to Japan, such as Japanese-registered ships, vessels with Japanese nationals or cargo on board, or ships operated by Japanese shipping firms, Kyodo said.

The waters off Somalia have become a pirate hotspot in recent years, with more than 40 vessels hijacked in 2008 alone, according to the International Maritime Bureau. This has prompted a number of countries to send warships to the region in an effort to combat the problem.

My comment

In this news, there are three dimensions to discuss.
Somalia：
1. The piracy problem is particularly acute with Somalia because it lacks an effective criminal justice system
2. Out of the 238 suspected pirates investigated by navies operating off Somalia, barely half were sent for prosecution. Most of them were released.
Japan：
1. Japanese constitution does not allow its warship to attack others and only on “self-defense” can warships to attack the pirates.
2. Japanese government are concerned with there international business on sea transportation.

Western countries：
In a bid to tackle the apparent impunity with which pirates can operate, the US and the EU have both concluded deals with Somalia's neighbour Kenya to send pirates for prosecution there.
But is using Kenya as the first choice jurisdiction for prosecuting Somali pirates a viable long-term solution? I think it is not a feasible or long-term method.

Those Somalia’s resident live in poor living standard and this cause them to become pirate and attack foreign ships in search for resource. To certain extent, I do not want to blame them or called them as criminals.

In the end, everybody agrees that the long-term solution to piracy off Somalia is an effective government in Somalia with a well-resourced coast guard and a functional justice system.

China boosts police presence in Tibet

Financial Times
Published: February 25 2009
By Geoff Dyer in Beijing

China has introduced a heavy police presence into Tibetan regions of the country ahead of the start of Tibetan new year celebrations on Wednesday, the first in a number of potential flashpoints over the next month.
The 15-day festival, called Losar, is usually one of most festive times of the year for Tibetans, but this year there has been an underground campaign to boycott the celebrations to mourn those killed during the wave of protests in the region last year.

Chinese officials have been worried about the potential for unrest around other sensitive dates, including the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against the Beijing government that led the Dalai Lama to flee into exile on March 10. The government has named March 28 as ‘Serf Emancipation Day’, a new holiday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the official dissolution of the Tibetan government that was led by the Dalai Lama.
Analysts say that the pre-emptive security clampdown indicated the government lacks confidence it can predict potential protests and prevent them from taking place.
The Chinese authorities say they are responding to the increased risk of crime in the region. There were reports on Wednesday that explosives had been found under a bridge in Tibet.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, the Dalai Lama said Tibetans should not respond to the “provocation” of the security build-up.
The campaign to boycott the traditional new year, which Tibetan activists have described as an act of civil disobedience, has been building for several months. The authorities have countered the campaign with aggressive propaganda efforts, including a four-hour television spectacle on Tibet TV on Tuesday evening with 800 performers. The Xinhua news agency published a report yesterday entitled: “Jubilant Tibetans embrace coming new year”.
Tibetan monks in Taipei, Taiwan, boycotted the start of the Losar festival in protest against Chinese rule
Diplomats and reporters who have recently visited Tibetan areas say there is some support for the boycott, although there is also plenty of opposition, including from shops and other service businesses for whom the holiday season is peak business.
Last year, the region witnessed the biggest outbreak of anti-Beijing protests in several decades, with unrest spreading to more than 50 towns in Tibet and Tibetan populated districts in the neighbouring provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai. The unrest culminated in a riot in Lhasa on March 14 when Han Chinese residents were targeted.
According to the Chinese government, 19 people including a policeman died in the riot. Tibetan exiles and human rights groups say the overall death toll during the protests was much larger.
The security build-up has been particularly intense in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. According to Human Rights Watch, the authorities have set up a detention centre near the regional capital where several thousand people have been held for short periods of time.
For the last three weeks, there have been reports of a heavy military police presence in Xiahe, the Gansu province town which was the site of a large protest last March, but residents contacted by telephone yesterday said the town was not closed off to foreign visitors. There have also been reports of large-scale security measures in Aba and Ganzi prefectures in Sichuan.
According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, a Dharamsala-based group, there was a two-day protest starting February 14 in Lithang county after a monk began chanting “No Losar”.

QUOTE

"At the speed at which the wage gap between men and women is closing, it will take another 70 years before equality is reached "

"to a man, the word "security" often means tank battalions and missile defence systems. To a woman it can mean access to education and clean drinking water for children. "

by European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallstrom

-A Fair Deal for Women. BBC NEWS

100% agree with her words!!

The US jobless rate jumped in February to 8.1%, according to official figures from the Labor Department.
The number of people out of work rose by 651,000 during the month. Both figures were bigger than expected.

The number of job cuts in January was revised up to 655,000 while December's losses were pushed up to 681,000.

December's figure was the biggest job loss in a single month since October 1949. The unemployment rate was the highest since December 1983.

Rising unemployment has meant greater demand for free meals
President Obama said that the number of jobs lost so far in the recession was "astounding".

Speaking in Ohio, he added: "I don't need to tell the people of this state what statistics like this mean," saying that he had signed his economic stimulus package in order to save jobs.

The extra 161,000 jobs added to December and January's figures mean that almost two million jobs have been lost in the past three months.

A total of 12.5 million people are now unemployed in the US.

"It just continues to show the grim state of the labour market, which suggests a deepening US recession," said Joe Manimbo, currency trader at Ruesch International in Washington.
Across sectors
There were further signs of companies cutting back on their spending with the news that the number of people who wanted to work full-time but were forced to work part-time for economic reasons rising 787,000 to 8.6 million.

The average working week stood at 33.3 hours, matching the record low set in December.
Jobs were cut in most sectors, with only government, education and health services adding staff.
In the manufacturing sector 168,000 jobs were cut in the month while 104,000 jobs went in construction and 375,000 were cut in the service sector.
"The payroll numbers are very weak. With the revisions, we've had significant job losses in the past four months," said Gary Thayer, senior economist at Wachovia Securities in St Louis.
"Companies are reducing workers and output in order to bring inventories into line with weak sales."
Among the companies that announced big job cuts in February were Goodyear, Estee Lauder, Macy's and General Motors.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress earlier in the week that economic indicators "show little sign of improvement" and suggest that "labour market conditions may have worsened further in recent weeks".

My Comment

This week U.S reported its Feb. unemployment rate. The government also said that it will take ove the Citi Group and will not let it bankrupt. I understand the new stimula pakage was just lauched recently, so we will not see the immediate effect. However, this month as well as the following months, U.S workers should get jobs in order to pay their housing debt or other debt.
If Americans still can't find jobs, it is easily to see the amount of total consumption will not increase, and U.S will cut down its imports in global trade, then our country's exports would decrease which is a bad signal in investment.
In addition, China announced its new GDP predicated growth which is approximately 6.8 of this year. These two things make me think U.S is deeply relies on China's buying U.S bonds and the inter-trade between U.S and China.
I think this time the U.S official should carefully estimate those related economic index becasue it is always better to be cautious than to take an unpredicatble risk.

North Korea launch plans

What do I think about President Barack Obama's speech to Congress

The speech has focused on three policy of United States: energy, health care, and education. As President Barack Obama said that"...We know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century.'', I think he means American will decrease the use of oil and the production of Carbonhydrogen.

Second is health care. In the past, Americans had to pay large taxes for health care insurance. As a proportion of GDP, public health care spending in the United States is larger than in most other large Western countries.---BYWIKIPEDIA. In contrast to Taiwan, our health care insurance policy has been succeeded for years. Because each individual do not have to pay too much to tax on health care and almost everybody can readily have health insurance. I start to appreciate much more to my government.

Third is education. I agree with President Barack Obama that ''In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite. " This is why we attend the university and strive to receive an advanced education. Furthermore, the real education should start from parents because "children's education must begin at home''.

Next quote which also said by President Barack Obama reminds me a movie - THE SLUMDOG MILLIONARE. He said"...But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary. " Well, it is not only Americans could find hope and inspiration, but also some kids who live in the slums in Mubai .

THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH

QUOTE

You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day......The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.

We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

You see, the flow of credit is the lifeblood of our economy. The ability to get a loan is how you finance the purchase of everything from a home to a car to a college education; how stores stock their shelves, farms buy equipment, and businesses make payroll.

In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity – it is a pre-requisite. －President Barack Obama

U.S. envoy for North Korea may visit Pyongyang

From Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. envoy for North Korea hopes to visit that nation next week as part of what the Obama administration hopes will be a different relationship between Washington and Pyongyang, senior administration officials told CNN on Thursday.
Stephen Bosworth lectures at Tufts University, where he is dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Stephen Bosworth will travel first to China, South Korea and Japan -- U.S. partners in the six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program, the officials said. He will be traveling with Sung Kim, director of the State Department's Office of Korean Affairs, who has also acted as a top negotiator.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce Bosworth's trip to the region Thursday afternoon, the officials said.

They said Bosworth will consult with Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo about the status of the nuclear negotiations and determine whether they are approve of him making an overture to Pyongyang.

If the talks go well, Bosworth will then ask the North Korean government for permission to travel there, the officials said. It would be the first face-to-face contact between representatives of the Obama administration and the North Korean government.

North Korea is aware of the possibility of a visit, the officials said, but nothing has been scheduled.

Clinton appointed Bosworth as special representative for North Korea policy, overseeing U.S. efforts in the six-party talks. In addition to the United States and North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia are taking part.

Bosworth, who has visited North Korea several times, served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea from 1997 to 2000 and was executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization from 1995 to 1997. He is now the dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

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Officials say another option is for Bosworth to meet North Korean officials in Beijing. Bosworth just traveled to Pyongyang last month in his capacity as dean of the Fletcher school before being named to the government post.

The possible visit to North Korea comes as the Obama administration weighs greater engagement with the reclusive country. Clinton said before traveling to Asia last week that if North Korea moved ahead with denuclearization, the United States would be prepared to normalize relations and sign a peace treaty on the Korean Peninsula.

Tension between Pyongyang and its neighbor South Korea has increased in recent weeks, with North Korea announcing it would scrap peace agreements with the South, warning of a war on the Korean Peninsula and appearing ready to test a missile capable of hitting the western United States.

U.S. and South Korean officials have said that North Korea seems to be preparing to test-fire its long-range missile, the Taepodong-2. Pyongyang tested one of the missiles in 2006, but it failed 40 seconds after launch. The missile is thought to have an intended range of about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers), which -- if true -- could give it the capability of striking Alaska or Hawaii.

Denying intelligence suggesting the missile test, North Korea announced Tuesday it is preparing to launch a satellite from its northeastern coast.

Clinton, who returned from Asia on Sunday after her first overseas trip as secretary of state, called North Korea's nuclear program "the most acute challenge to stability in northeast Asia" and has said there is a "testing period" at present about how diplomacy can move forward.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Il reportedly had a stroke in recent months and some observers claim he may not be fully in charge of the country. Clinton said last week that if Kim is replaced, "even it if is a peaceful succession, then that creates more uncertainty. It may also encourage even more provocative action as a way to delegate power."

Clinton Tells China Economy Is Priority

Clinton Tells China Economy Is Priority
－Wall Street Journal

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton concluded her first diplomatic mission to China, where she laid out a vision for U.S. relations with Beijing that prioritizes cooperation on the financial crisis and global warming while playing down disagreements over human rights.

Mrs. Clinton ended her weeklong, four-nation Asian trip Sunday highlighting to the Chinese public the 'intertwined' nature of the U.S. and Chinese economies.

'It would not be in China's interest if we were unable to get our economy moving,' Mrs. Clinton said in an interview with the Chinese television talk show 'One on One.'

Noting that Washington is borrowing more to fund stimulus spending, she praised China -- the world's largest holder of U.S. Treasurys -- for its continued purchases of U.S. government debt.

'So by continuing to support American Treasury instruments, the Chinese are recognizing our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together.'

Earlier in the day, Mrs. Clinton attended service at the state-sanctioned Beijing Haidian Christian Church, and held a 'Women's Leadership Forum' with 22 prominent Chinese scholars, executives and media celebrities. She asked the group of women about progress on gender equality, and 'continuing obstacles' for Chinese women.

But Mrs. Clinton -- who as first lady in 1995 angered Beijing by bluntly criticizing its human-rights record at a conference here -- never mentioned human rights during the one-hour women's forum Sunday, and generally avoided sensitive subjects in public statements during her visit.

Mrs. Clinton had signaled in recent days that she wouldn't focus on issues such as human rights and Tibet during her meetings in China. She told reporters Friday that to do so risked undermining efforts to combat the global economic crisis.

'We have to continue to press them' on human rights. 'But our pressing on those issues can't interfere with the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis,' Mrs. Clinton said. 'We have to have a dialogue that leads to an understanding and cooperation on each of those.'

That statement angered rights activists. The remarks 'send the wrong message to the Chinese government,' Human Rights Watch said in a statement, arguing that past progress on human rights in China has come partly as a result of outside pressure.

Mrs. Clinton focused on the economy, along with key security and environmental issues, in meetings Saturday with senior Chinese leaders. She said her Chinese counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi, will visit Washington in early March to help coordinate a U.S.-China response to the economic downturn ahead of the Group of 20 industrial and developing countries in April in London.

At a joint appearance, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Yang both acknowledged the interdependence of their two economies, but Mr. Yang didn't offer any commitment on Beijing's future investment policies regarding its Treasury holdings.

Mr. Yang said China wants to ensure the 'safety, value and liquidity' of its foreign exchange reserves, and will determine the future use of the reserves with those criteria.

Washington and Beijing are extending a Bush administration initiative to hold regular high-level talks to discuss key economic and strategic issues. The exact structure of the talks is to be announced when U.S. President Barack Obama meets Chinese President Hu Jintao at the G-20 meeting. Mrs. Clinton said she and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner would be involved in the dialogue.

Mr. Geithner upset Chinese officials in January when he accused Beijing of 'manipulating' its currency -- a statement widely seen as an escalation of U.S. complaints that China artificially depresses the value of the yuan to bolster its exports.

Aside from the economy, Mrs. Clinton's biggest emphasis in Beijing was on coordinating with China's leaders on confronting environmental challenges. She has appointed a special envoy on climate change, Todd Stern, and the two visited the gas-fired Taiyanggong Power Plant, which was designed to reduce emissions and water consumption. The plant was built by General Electric Co. of the U.S. in partnership with the Chinese government.

'What we see here is the type of in-depth cooperation that we have to encourage,' Mrs. Clinton said in remarks delivered at the plant.

In meetings with Mr. Hu and Premier Wen Jiabao, Mrs. Clinton discussed a range of security issues, including North Korea, Iran, Myanmar and Zimbabwe.

Mrs. Clinton asked China to curb its oil and gas investments in Iran in a bid to force Tehran to give up its nuclear program, according to a senior U.S. official, who said the Chinese leadership offered no signs they'd honor Washington's request. Mr. Yang said these investments don't violate United Nations sanctions against Iran, the official said

At their meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Mr. Hu thanked Mrs. Clinton for making Asia her first overseas trip.

This 'shows the new administration attaches great importance to developing relations with Asia and with China. I greatly appreciate it,' Mr. Hu said. 'I believe Madam Secretary that during your tenure you will make positive contributions to the growth of U.S.-Chinese relations.'

By Jay Solomon from WSJ.

COMMENT
In the past year, China had to deal with many controversial issues including climate changes, international imports and exports, weapon trade, and most importantly the human rights. As the last year, 2008, the Tibetan people were suppressed by the China government and other related human rights which made the debate between China and U.S government for years.However, since last year, the global economic recession which had made the U.S government undergone serious lost in credit and it has strived extremely hard to save its banking system changes the U.S foreign policy and international relation with China. As Clinton had visited China this week, she clearly depicted that the economy is the priority and should be put on the top list and discussed. What she had said demonstrated that the U.S relied on China’s buying its bonds.
Economically speaking, if China bought large amount of US dollars, China should aware that there would be a risk to lose money when its value decreased. This is what China does not like to expect and see. On the other hand, the U.S government does not want the RMB‘s value increased to a high level because the currency rate would interfere the trade between China and U.S.
Based on the political points of views, there is a new relation built between China and U.S. The Asia-tour which is the first tour for the new secretary seemed to me that Clinton wanted to have more positive talking to the Prime Minister of China. Some people scorned her movement because they support the human rights and discontented with the China government’s human rights policy. While others think positively that Clinton had contributed a positive impact on international relation.
In my opinion, she could delay the human rights issue and waited to put on the table when the economy backs to the prosperity.