news commentary: due Tues, 4/17 before school

[Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)]

Please post a commentary on any NTY article you read over the time
period from 4/9 - 4/15 (4/14 on the web) that interested you. Please
identify the article title and date and do not cover a topic already
covered by a classmate.

[Quincy Shuda]

Vaccinations Begin in a Cholera Ravaged Haiti

By: Deborah Sontag

April 12, 2012

This article is about the vaccine that has been created and recently started to be used in Haiti, Shanchol. Although only 1 percent of the population received the vaccine, it shows definite progress simply that the government is now allowing the vaccine. In October 2012, when cholera broke out among the Haitians, the government disapproved of it for economic reasons, logistical challenges, limited supply, and not know who to give it to. But the World Health Organization eventually approved it because it could save lives and help until more effective things such as sanitation and water control could be put in place. I think that this article was nice to read because so much of the stuff we read in the news every day is upsetting. Amid natural disasters, corrupt governments, and poverty crises it’s nice to see some light shed upon a topic. After doing my Africa project on malaria, I’m intrigued by reading about things like this. I find the way different illnesses impact countries in different ways very interesting because you can find out a lot about a country by looking at their health systems. The end of the article talks about how if cholera was a problem in the United States like it is in Haiti, there would definitely be a vaccine to prevent it. I think this article showed the hope of development in countries where problems like this occur.

[Alexa Lee]

Rocket Failure May Be Test of North Korean Leader’s Power

By CHOE SANG-HUN and DAVID E. SANGER

Published: April 13, 2012

As I had explained earlier in class my dad was in South Korea on a business trip when North Korea launched their rocket, which is why I am interested in the topic (and I'm Korean of course).  Aside from that, I was very happy that this rocket failed because it meant that Kim Jong-un failed.  Hopefully this is one failure out of many failures to come for Mr. Kim.  If Mr. Kim continues on his path of failure then perhaps eventually the North Korean people will be able to muster up the courage to overthrow the harsh dictatorship.  Okay, very far-fetched, but not impossible.  But I was quite surprised that despite Mr. Kim's $1 billion epic failure, he was appointed the head of the National Defense Commission, the last military post to be transferred to him.  This occurred shortly after the rocket failure.  I guess it'll have to take a lot for Mr. Kim to get ousted.   I was also intrigued by the senior American intelligence official's statement pre-launching, "Frankly," "I'd rather have an unstable Kim Jong-un in charge than a free-for-all where you are wondering who's really in control of the arsenal."  I agree that an anarchy would pose extreme danger and make everyone's palms sweaty, but don't we already feel endangered and don't our palms already sweat?  I do not believe that unstable dictator Kim Jong-un is a better alternative.  Sure, you have a 'leader' to the country, but an insane one at that.  Having Mr. Kim as leader is in someways like having an anarchy.  He is unpredictable, random, uncontrollable just as an anarchist society.  But, the one major difference is that in Mr. Kim's government the people have NO voice and NO choice.  At least in an anarchy the people of the nation can make their own decisions, as disorderly as it may be.  The people have to follow one crazy leader who only cares about becoming the face of a dominant nuclear super-power.  It is neither better for North Korea nor for any other countries that Mr. Kim remains in power.     

[Connor]

Secret Service Agents Accused of Misconduct

April 14, 2012

By: Jackie Calmes and Matt Flegenheimer

This article is about how twelve secret service agents were relieved of duty after being involved in prostitution. This took place in Colombia in advance of President Obama's arrival. A secret service spokesman acknowledged that the secret service members were dismissed, but did not address the issue of prostitution. I thought that this article was interesting because it is obviously a negative for the Obama administration, especially in an election year. Although there hasn't been significant media outrage, I'm sure that this will be brought up by republicans at some time during the campaign. The article further elaborated on how other secret service agents have been involved in various incidents in the past, including an off-duty agent being charged with second-degree murder in Hawaii last november. I am interested to see how other countries and republicans react to the allegations of misconduct. 

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Maureen McDermott]

A Solemn Path Back to Myanmar for the U.S.

By: Jane Perlez (4/15/12)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/world/asia/remains-offer-us-a-path-back-into-myanmar.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper

At the end of WWII more than 700 American airmen died inside Myanmar, and along its Chinese border. This article offers an alternate glimpse between the rebounding US/Myanmar relationship. Now that the US and Myanmar are on better terms then they have been in a while, the Pentagon is asking for permission to excavate the remains of the airmen and their aircrafts from inside Myanmar. Many of the soldiers whose remains are in Myanmar (as well as other locations across the world) are listed as either MIA or POWs, so it is an important thing the military and the families of these people, that the remains are recovered and closure is given. The US has often been known to use this as a way of bridging gaps between countries whose relations with us may be on the fritz. 

I immediately connected this article to one of my favorite TV shows, JAG. The main character, Harmon Rabb, a navy lawyer, was on the hunt for his father, an aviator in Vietnam and declared MIA when Harmon was a kid, for nearly his whole life. His fathers body was never recovered, so Harmon always had this inkling of hope that his dad wasn't dead and was maybe a POW somewhere or something, and he became obsessed with getting closure over his dad's whereabouts. I guess that just showed me how important it is to get back the remains of these lost soldiers, and to give families closure and honor the commitment they made to our country. And the article talked about how, with modern day technology, it shouldn't be much of a challenge to identify these soldiers with DNA and dental records, and gear. There have already been 2 failed attempts, in 2003 and 2004, to remove the remains of these soldiers, and  think it's pretty important that this mission is successful. 

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Steven Wood]

Iraq Emerges From Isolation as Telecommunications Hub

By ERIC PFANNER 

In 2008 the Gulf States, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq invested 500 Million USD to connect the Middle East to the telecommunication world.  The project included connecting an enormous cable from the connected world to Iraq.    The engineers involved in this faced great challenges such as crossing oil and gas pipelines as well.  Most of the engineers involved agreed that this would be a huge step forward for such a backwards country.  It is also widely believed that this cable will bring Internet connection to over fifty percent of the population, up from three percent.
This cable will also bring social reform to Iraq and liberalize their, now extremely conservative, government.  Along with social reform Iraq will also become a central hub for the “Silk Road” countries and maybe even bring social reform to those countries. 

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Drew Vollmer]

"Brazil and U.S. Accentuate the Positive"
By Simon Romero and Jackie Calmes
Published April 9th, 2012

Dilma Rousseff, the current president of Brazil recently visited
Washington, in hopes of improving relations with the U.S. Overall, the
meeting was a success, as both Rousseff and Obama agreed on
strengthening economic cooperation between the two nations. Biofuel
and cacacha both show promise in U.S.-Brazilian trade. However, there
does appear to be plenty of tension in the air. Brazil seems to have
taken the reigns as the dominant power in Latin America, in place of
the U.S. Furthermore, the nation's rising power has lead to a Security
Council bid, which unlike India, the U.S. has yet to support. Middle
East politics also brings up some disagreement, with Brazil's history
of exchanging uranium with Iran. However, Brazil generally prefers to
abstain from these regional conflicts. The more concerning issues
appear with Cuban trade. For instance, a new Florida law prevents
local governments from hiring companies which do business with Cuba.
Meanwhile, the same Brazilian construction company working on the Port
of Miami and the Cuban Port of Mariel. In general, Rousseff's visit
was described as not as celebratory as those with India, South Korea,
and Britain. The conversation was also described as tense, with
minimal eye contact.
It should be very interesting to see where this relationship heads.
There appears to be a hint of distaste for Brazil, with there
expansion of power and stable economy. However, this does not stop the
immense potential between the two. Economic ties are already
improving, and various study-abroad programs, known as Science Without
Borders, have been established between the U.S. and Brazil. Even more
interesting will be the rise of similar third-world nations, such as
India and South Africa. It's only a matter of time before such nations
solidify their global power.

On Apr 16, 10:07 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"

[Lizzy Hilt]

Beneath That Beguiling Smile, Seeing What Leonardo Saw

April 13^th, 2012

This article reveals that Prado’s copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was most likely painted while the artist who produced the copy was sitting right next to da Vinci. Ana Mozo, a researcher in the museum’s technical documentation department, used various x-rays and discovered the copy has the exact brush strokes and corrections as da Vinci’s. This person was looking at him while he painted the Mona Lisa.

I found this personal interest article extremely interesting. The Mona Lisa is an extremely famous painting and it is almost eerie finding out that an artist was looking over his shoulder copying his every stroke. It is a great breakthrough for the artistic world because not only do they know what his work looks like, they can now analyze his exact thought process and the way he constructed his masterpiece. To me, this is the most interesting twist because its not everyday you can look at great art from hundreds of years ago and figure out how the artist constructed their painting. It would be very interesting if the museum created an exhibit with this newly found information. I’m sure many experts around the world are in awe and dying to see the research involved in the discovery of this copy.  Although it was not a very global event, it was one of the more interesting stories, in my opinion, the NY times has written. 

[Michael Wong]

Nigeria's Population Jump Is a Preview of Global Problems. 

By Elisabeth Rosenthal 

(Sunday 4/15/12)

In the US women average a birthrate of ~2.1.  However in Nigeria, the most populous and developed country in sub-Saharan Africa the number is closer to 5.5. While in some developing African Nations the economy has risen quickly and steadily outside of agriculture, population has increased faster.  So fast in fact that the growing economy can't keep up with the influx of young people vying for jobs leading to high crime and unemployment rates.  Throughout all of Sub-Saharan Africa the trend is the same, a middle class prospers yet explosive population growth demands constant infrastructure blustering which strains the economy and in turn the education and health systems.  When these become overrun and underfunded they lead to National poverty.  I found this article particularly interesting because of our past study of demography and its impact. As we discussed culture has major implications on birth rate specifically this story highlighted the patriarchal society in which men demanded more children as a display of status and wealth.  Women, who marry young and remain uneducated bear many children as per their job and husband's request.  Family planning, as Rosenthal describes: "is viewed as foreign" while contraception is opposed by religious factions with strong roots in Africa like Islam or the Catholic Church.  While women who are uneducated continue to maintain a higher birthrate those who are educated tend to desire and halve less children between 2-4 vs those who aren't (5-7.)  By many estimates Nigeria's population alone will skyrocket to 300 million (rivaling that of the US) by 2100 and all of Sub-Saharan Africa will account for 1/3 of the world's population.  Until Africa an curb its growing population and follow the trend of the US, Europe and more recently Asia and Latin America it will forever be faced with the same huge problems that haunt it today. 

[Melissa Lee]

Years After Acid Horror, Suicide Stirs Pakistan

Declan Walsh

4/9/12

Fakhra Younas, a Pakistani victim of acid attacks, had tried numerous times to get facial surgery in Rome. She had sought asylum in Italy after the horrible incident and was not able to return to the Pakistan she missed due to security. Recently, she had committed suicide and the people of Pakistan reacted strongly. Parliament officials have tried to accuse and charge her former husband with the attack, but he was apparently acquitted years ago. Recently, the Academy Award-winning movie “Saving Face” has brought attention to acid attacks and the mentally and physically painful consequences as well as the media. It is really upsetting that considering all she had gone through, she had been robbed of justice in a way. Not only was her husband free from charges for nearly destroying her face, but she was also not able to leave a country foreign to her. And, her husband at trial defended himself saying he was a “victim of a media trial”, being completely insensitive to the damage he had inflicted on his own wife. As Younas had come from a childhood of prostitution and hardship, while her husband grew up in a rich family, the justice system in cases like these especially is flawed. Although the system is slowly improving towards acid attack cases, Younas’ bravery throughout her life shouldn’t be rewarded with injustice and it is sad she had decided to end her life because of it.

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Rachel Hochberger]

Where Trip Began, Remembering Titanic’s Lost

By John F. Burns

4/10/12

This article described how hundreds of relatives of people aboard the Titanic came to the same port in Southampton where it began its fateful voyage to pay tribute to the lives that had been lost, keeping alive the memory of their loved ones, its tremendous impact on Southampton, and the event itself. I thought this article was quite interesting, and was really impressed by what these people were doing. I remember hearing the quote “those who don't remember history are destined to repeat it”, and I think it very much applies to the Titanic. So the Southampton mission to keep not only the event, but each person aboard’s memory alive through photographs of the crew, and even the playing of Titanic’s horn seemed particularly special to me. What also struck me about this article was not about the ship itself, but the explaining of just how much it meant to the countless people who boarded the ship as a beacon of hope taking them to a better life. And while it is tragic that many of them were never able to fulfill this dream, it is good to know that their legacy still lives on today, unforgotten a century later.

[Cat Mosier-Mills]

Israel Bars German Laureate Grass Over Poem

By ETHAN BRONNER and NICHOLAS KULISH

Published: April 9, 2012

Gunter Grass, a well-known German poet with a rather controversial past (he was a Nazi soldier during WWII), has been barred from Israel after writing a condemning poem about Israel's nuclear program and "threat-like nature." The poet later recanted and said that the poem was directed at Netanyahu's policies, not Israel in general; however, Germany's relationship with Israel is an especially crucial one, and a blow that big is often viewed as anti-Semitic. 

I think Israel's reaction is justified, considering the circumstances and Germany's obligation to Israel; however, I think it was a bit harsh. Any country will experience criticism for its policies, and although Israel feels that other countries "gang up" on it, it can't just bar anyone that contradicts it. Yes, the poem was harsh and uncesessary during such tumultuous times, and his controversial past certainly didn't help stir up and sympathy. It begs the question, when do we draw the line between freedom of speech and prejudice?

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Alex Freedman]

As Mali Prepares for Vote, Interim Leader Is Sworn In
By Fabien Offner and Lydia Polgreen Published: April 12, 2012

After the Mali military coup, the leader of the country’s National
Assembly was sworn in as interim president. The temporary government
will try to organize new elections and reinstate constitutional rule.
Mali was months away from an election at the time of the coup, and the
president was going to step down instead of staying in power
unconstitutionally. After that, his junior officers deposed him, and
took over because they said he didn't handle the northern rebels well
enough. During that, the northern rebels took control of Timbuktu and
declared their own country Azawad. I hope that Mali continues to be a
democracy because if not it could inspire an "African Spring," which
could destablize the entire continent. It is also surprising how
quickly the coup took to completely take over power. One would think
the government would've put up more of a fight than it did. However,
it is interesting and somewhat sad to contrast the Mali revolution and
the Syrian revolution, and how much more agressive and persistant the
Syrian government has been.



On Apr 16, 10:07 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"

[Leigh]

Lush Walls Rise to Fight a Blanket of Pollution

By DAMIEN CAVE

Published: April 9, 2012

This article was about the new sculptures being built in Mexico City. They're called vertical gardens, and if you haven't already seen them, they look like this http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/04/10/world/MEXICO.html and this http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2012/04/10/world/10mexico2.html . These gardens help to purify the air, and are making Mexico City a lot cleaner. Known as one of the most polluted cities in the world, Mexico City is making huge strides in eco-friendly methods. (Thomas Friedman would be proud)

Not only do I think these gardens look amazing, but the fact that they're helping the environment without taking up tons of space is remarkable. I would love to have a vertical garden in my backyard, but they aren't really necessary in the suburbs or countryside. It will definitely be interesting to see how Mexico City's gardens work out, and hopefully some other cities will follow in their footsteps. Personally i think it would be interesting to see these gardens in cities like new york or philly.

[James Lofton]

In Poppy War, Taliban Aim to Protect a Cash Crop
By:TAIMOOR SHAH and ALISSA J. RUBIN
4-11-12

This article is about one part of the annual Afghani Taliban
offensive, the maintaining of the poppy crop. The government and the
west see the poppy crop as a vulnerable way to harm the taliban as it
is their main source of income. So the officials take tractors and
destroy the fields as best they can. However, the militants are on the
offensive, destroying government tractors and even mining poppy
fields. While the Taliban don't directly profit from the poppy
cultivation in most cases, they have "relationships" with the farmers
that yields the Taliban an estimated 10% of a $4 billion a year
harvest. This also makes it tough for the eradication campaign, as
destroying a farmers fields, pushes him more towards the Taliban
cause.
I find this article very interesting as even in this unconventional
war, the basic attics are fundamentally the same. When it comes down
to it, war requires a lot of money, and by eliminating your enemy's
source of income, it is possible to significantly decrease their
fighting ability. This is also a big part of a crucial season in the
Afghan campaign. As the Us prepares to pull out, the Taliban are
surely to step up their offensive against their occupiers. But if the
US can withstand the onslaught and deliver a decisive blow to the
Taliban in the coming months, I think it may be possible to decrease
the chances of the Taliban reclaiming power after the Us withdrawal.

On Apr 16, 10:07 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"

[Ashley Gubernick]

Afghan Force Will Be Cut After Taking Leading Role

By Thom Shanker and Alissa J. Rubin

Wednesday April 11

This article describes that once the NATO mission ends in 2014, Afghan security forces will undergo a reduction.  The reduction will leave forces with 230,000 forces left. 230,000 still seems like a really big number to me, but relative to the peak 352,000 security forces, it means 122,000 people will be let go. Money is a problem when it comes to security.  As of now, most of the money going towards the forces (equipment, vehicles, etc...) comes from foreign countries.  In order to get on its feet, Afghanistan can't rely so heavily on other nations.  The reduction will mean less of an economic dependance on other countries in terms of security forces.  Also, there has been corruption taking place within Afghan security like abuse towards women, so hopefully ridding the forces of these 122,000 men will gradually get rid of the problem, or at least make it better.  Even with the reduction  there is still a need for training troops and getting equipment, so the United States government still has to fill this gap.  The Afghan officials have not been assured that this obligation will be fulfilled, but time will tell.  In the upcoming weeks I think this subject will go uncovered by journalists because the reduction will be so gradual, but as people are let go I think it will be covered more and we will find out if the US sticks around for training.

[Colin Castro]

Bo Xilai Scandal and the Mysterious Neil Haywood
By: Sharon LaFraniere and John F. Burns
April 12th, 2012

In England, the relatives and friends mourned the passing of the
41-year-old Neil Heywood. Heywood, was a British businessman who
worked frequently in China, and was business partners with the ousted
Politburo member Bo Xilai and his wife Gu Kailai. Heywood was a
healthy man, married to a Chinese woman with two kids. This November,
Heywood was found dead in his Chonqing hotel room. The reports
attributed his shocking death to alcohol poisoning. Still, this death
remained mysterious. However, early in the week China connected
Heywood's death to an intentional homicide by Xilai's wife Gu, and a
housekeeper. Following weeks of political turmoil surround Xilai, this
is horrifying for the Chinese.

Haywood's relationship with Xilai was a powerful one, that'd been
strong since the 1990s. Heywood's relationship with the Xilai was
based on his efforts in helping Bo and Gu send their son to Britain to
help him recieve a top-tier education. Heywood apparently grew close
with the family, and instead of a being a mercenary-like business
intermediary, Heywood was a legitimate friend. However, over the last
few years friends of Heywood said he'd began losing contact with Bo.
Their son was a graduate student at Harvard, and Bo's political
inner-circle wasn't comfortable or happy with Heywood's role. Even
with a personal relationship, sources describe a tense disagreement
between Gu and Heywood in the waning days of Heywood's lifetime.

Heywood's friends described him as charming, and elusive. A confident
man who toured China and created good relationships, but preserved a
sense of nationalism. During Heywood's last few years, his friends
said he strongly considered leaving the country due to fear. On all
accounts, Heywood was a good man, who sometimes helped the MI6 track
foreign business, and was always a devoted husband. Unfortunately,
friends found him to a seeker, and believed he may have "wandered"
into the Xilai scandal. Amazingly, this death has opened a greater
investigation of Gu Kailiai and her instrumental role in her husband's
corruption and wealth.

[Shefain Islam]

Killing of Bangladeshi Labor Organizer Signals an Escalation in Violence
By: Julfikar Ali Malik and Vikas Bajaj
Published: April 9, 2012

In Dhaka, a garment factory worker was found tortured and dead on the streets. The man had participated in riots against the unfair treatment in the booming Bangladeshi garment industry. Such unfair treatment includes very low wages and working conditions similar to that of the Great Depression Era, if not worse. After hearing some sympathy from the corrupt government in the form of a raise in minimum wage, laborers continued to protest. In response to these protests, the heads of the labor unions believe the death of this man was meant as a scare tacit against further protests.
Obviously, being Bangladeshi myself, I found great interest in this article. The list of things wrong with Bangladesh and its government are never ending and the state of the garment industry is no different. Bangladesh has no middle class and only the very rich and the very live live in the country. With sky rocketing prices and a water crisis, the rich are finding it hard to live day to day. For the poor, who live on less than $36 a month, this struggle is increased ten fold. Surprisingly, the government (who usually does nothing but steal from the country to put money into their own wallets) responded by a raise in wages. After that, it's hands off while people still continue to suffer. Bangladesh is not a place where one can protest freely and the country is so disorganized that getting anything done is considered to be quite a feat. However, the leaders of these unions are right. They cannot back down after this death. In fact, this may be the publicity they needed as a boast towards their ultimate goal of fair treatment for workers. I am glad one of the many issues in Bangladesh are finally getting some coverage because as we saw with the Arab Spring, news coverage can make or break a movement. With the rising and rapidly growing garment industry, Bangladesh definitely needs to solve these problems now before things get out of control. If countries like the U.S. and the large corporations that hire in Bangladesh light a fire underneath the authorities, hopefully Bangladesh will feel the heat and begin change for the better. 

[Addy]

Syria Fires Into Turkey in Clash with Refugees, Another Blow to Plan for Truce

By Neil MacFarquhar and Sebnem Arsu

This article is about the Syrian Uprising and how it has now moved into Turkey, and is affecting the people living there. I wanted to post about this because I think that this topic, Syria, has lost steam in the news and is less of a prominent topic then I should be. I have written, in various mediums, about Syria, and I think that the world should be doing all it can to end the uprising there. Assad is killing thousands of peeople and All people seem to worry about is sideways gardens in Mexico. I think that now its spilling over to afffect other countries, especially, it needs to be at the top of the priority list. I think that it needs to be resolved and fast.

[Maddie Chapin]

Iranian Dissident Opposes Sanctions on Tehran

By Rick Gladstone

4/15

This article really interested me because it allowed me to see the Iranian problem through new eyes, instead of the eyes of the US media always emphasizing how great the sanctions on Iran are. It told Shirin Ebadi's point of view, an Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and although she does not support the authorities in Iran or a lot of the things they do, she opposes the nuclear sanctions on her country. It was really unique for me to hear the other side, the side where people oppose the sanctions on Iran and say they were "misdirected". It allowed me to open my eyes to this new idea and better empathize with the Iranians and how they might feel about the sanctions.

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Zoe Bermudez]

Increasingly, Suicide ‘by Economic Crisis’ Is a Symptom of the
Downturn in Europe
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO and DOREEN CARVAJAL
Published on April 14, 2012

This article is about the rate of suicides going up in a few European
countries due to the economic hard times. The vast majority of the
people were middle aged men (averaging 36 years old) who owned a small
business. A lot of small businesses were hit hard by the recent
economic downfall, leading to increasing amounts of debts and
stresses. Along with other elements in their lives, many people in
Italy and Ireland were pushed to the point of desperation. These are
tough times the world is going through. But it's still disturbing that
it would push them far enough for them to feel like they can't do
anything else but die. It makes me wonder what would happen in the
United States, if our economy was hit as hard as some European
countries. I imagine chaos would follow. The global economy definitely
needs to get better before suicide starts to become less of a last
resort and more of a viable option.

[Allie Martin]

Authorities Bar 3 Leading Candidates in Egypt Race

by:   DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Sunday April 15, 2012

I thought this article was really interesting because it was bittersweet. An Egyptian court barred 10 candidates in all from participating in the presidential race including the only 3 anyone cared about. The Muslim Brotherhood candidate Khairat el-Shater was barred becasue of a previous criminal conviction, though it was most likely trumped up by the Mubarak government. Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, the ultra conservative Islamist, was barred because his mother is an American citizen and Omar Suleiman, Mubarak's former spy chief, was barred because he failed to meet technical requirements. At first this seems like a terribly bad sign for the way things are going in the revolution torn country, but they were actually following the rules. Thought they were following the rules, all of these people were front runners and previously thought to be in the race, making this sudden decision shady. And in Egypt there is always the possibility that military still isn't ready to give up power.

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

On Monday, April 16, 2012 10:07:30 AM UTC-4, Ken Sklar (Radnor High School) wrote:

[Josh Klag]

"Norway: Mass Killer Found to Be Sane" by Christina Anderson
4/11/12
This article is about the ruling that the Norwegian anti-immigrant who murdered a ton of people last year is sane. This verdict shocked me- how can someone commit such a horrible act and still be sane? In fact, this makes me wonder how they determine such a thing. Then again, being declared insane can "get you off the hook" somewhat, as you go to an institution instead of prison. Still, simply can't believe that someone like that could ever be considered sane.

[Erica F]

Sudans’ Dispute Leaves Southerners Stranded at Airport
by Reuters on Tuesday, April 9 2012

Since the creation of South Sudan last July, no conclusions have been
made about citizenship of south Sudanese in Sudan, and vice versa. The
lack of communication between the two countries led to several south
Sudanese being unable to board their flights in Khartoum last monday.
Sudan is now starting to require passports from south Sudanese, even
though South Sudan doesn't have an embassy there to make passports,
and Sudan has denied dual citizenships to several south Sudanese.
Those who wish to fly to South Sudan will have to wait until further
decisions are made, as Sudan is no longer treating south Sudanese
people as citizens. I'm genuinely surprised at the fact that these
arrangements haven't been made previously. Whether or not Sudanese and
South Sudanese people will be able to have citizenship in the other
country is a very important decision; I would've expected this to have
been resolved long ago.

On Apr 16, 10:07 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"

[Ben Cohen]

"Pakistan gives US list of demands, including an end to CIA drone
strikes" -salman masood
Pakistan gave the Us a list of 24 demands including the end of CIA
drone strikes. Whether the US follows these demands will have a huge
impact on their relationship with Pakistan. At one point tension was
extremely high between these two countries, so this would be a great
time for the US to repair relations. Pakistan is a nuclear power and
could factor into dealing with Iran. If the whole middle east turns
against the US than Iran obtaining nukes would be imminent. This cOuld
have a huge impact on how things pAn out in the middle east for the
US.

On Apr 16, 10:07 am, "Ken Sklar (Radnor High School)"
<kenneth.sk...@rtsd.org> wrote:

[Sarah M]

Peru: Trapped Miners are Rescued
By The Associated Press
April 11, 2012
Peruvian miners that were trapped for six days in an abandoned copper
mine finally received an answer to their prayers. Rescuers built a
tunnel after removing more than 26 feet of dirt and rock, and then the
miners walked out, unaided. They had been trapped by an explosion that
they themselves had set, and had been communicating with their
rescuers and receiving food and medicine through a hose. The
President, who was there to meet the miners, has used the incident as
a chance to highlight the dangers of working in abandoned mines in
Peru. He then instructed the mine to be sealed definitively. I found
this article particularly interesting because a similar event happened
a few years ago in Chile. Though this event was not nearly as serious
as the 69-day ordeal of the Chilean miners, the issue of ensuring the
safety of employees in this line of work is a serious problem that has
been going on for quite some time.