CNN News- 130621

India grapples with 'Himalayan tsunami' that has left 150 dead

By Jethro Mullen, CNN

June 21, 2013 -- Updated 0041 GMT (0841 HKT)

A boy dives into the rising waters of the Yamuna River in New Delhi on Wednesday, June 19. Heavy rains have been lashing parts of north India, as the annual monsoon arrived nearly two weeks ahead of schedule, officials said.

- -Read more from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/20/world/asia/india-floods/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Summary: A devastating flood have swept away buildings, roads and vehicles in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, which borders Nepal and China. It caused approximately 150 people's death. Singh said it is feared that loss of lives could eventually be much higher. Still, rescue workers in northern India are scrambling to save people left stranded by devastating floods. Not only the massive death of people, the flood has been more problematic because Uttarakhand is often referred to as "the Land of Gods." It is the home of a deeply revered Hindu temple that attracts many pilgrims. The temple is intact, but shops and other buildings have been severly damaged. According to the research, the reason of the flood is the extreme weather. Past few days in a region of India, there was the worst of the heavy rain and it brought chaos in the Indian capital, New Delhi, inundating streets, shops and homes. 

Opinion: As the summer begins and monsoons are about to come, many countries are in danger of flooding. Flooding can result a lot of victims with the financial and economical damage. We cannot prevent the natural disaster, but we might reduce the losses. When it rains, we should not go near to seashore. Also it will be helpful when the construction become stronger. Sorry for the victims of the flooding, and I hope the rescue workers would work safely, too. Fund-raising for India would also help them recover the city more quickly.

CNN News- 130614

Mandela 'responding better to treatment,' South African president says

By CNN Staff

June 12, 2013 -- Updated 1531 GMT (2331 HKT)

Nelson Mandela, now 94, endured 27 years in prison before becoming South Africa's first president from 1994 to 1999. Pictured, Mandela in Mmabatho for an election rally on March 15, 1994.

HIDE CAPTION

Revolutionary and politician Nelson Mandela

  Read more from: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/12/world/africa/south-africa-mandela/index.html?hpt=iaf_c1


Summary: Former South African leader Nelson Mandela, 94, has been in serious but stable condition since rushed to a Pretoria hospital with a recurring lung infection. And currently, he is "responding better to treatment", President Jacob Zuma told the country's Parliament. Many South Africans are outpouring public prayers and good will during a difficult period for the Mandela family. Mandela's history of lung problems dates to when he was a political prisoner on Robben island during the apartheid era, and he has battled respiratory infections over years.

Opinion:Nelson Mandela is one of the world's most revered men, who led the struggle to replace the apartheid regime of South Africa with a multi-racial democracy. He is the country's first black president and has worked for peace of conflict for his entire life. During his presidency, he also reduced poverty and economic difficulties through his sophiscated, effective, and honest policy.  And he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for developing the education, health, and economic problems for the black people in less developed country. I hope he would get better soon and show us his charisma again to the world. For his recovery of health, we should send the messages of support and prayer.

KoreanHerald- 130531

S. Korea's fiscal deficit widens in Q1

Read more from: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130531000259

Summary: South Korea's fiscal deficit is widened during the first quarter of this year, 2013. The central government's total income and expenditure has 14.8 trillion won deficit for the first third months of this year, widening 3.5 trillion won more. Recently, the national assembly approved a 17.3 trillion won extra budget to recover the depression.

Opinion: Growing deficit is caused by slow economic growth.Government should put more efforts to support economic growth by frontloading spending. If we have more deficit, it might lead to economic depression and we would not be able to recover again. I hope Korean economy would jump up!

Relation:  Government taking action with the policies are called fiscal policy. Expansionary fiscal policy is to increase aggregate demand and stimulate the economy, and  Contractionary fiscal policy is to reduce aggregate demand and slow the economy


<Fed's actions>

 -   Expansionary Monetary Policy (Tight Money)
: In recession, Fed increases money supply to increase aggregate demand
: Buy bonds on the open market, lower the reserve requirement, and reduce the discount rate
-      Contactionary Monetary Policy (Easy Money)
: Fed decreases money supply to check aggregate demand and inflation
: Sell bonds on the open market, raise the reserve requirement, and increase the discount rate

CNN News- 130524

South Korea cheating scandal hits university bids

By Dan Rivers, CNN

May 10, 2013 -- Updated 1133 GMT (1933 HKT)

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/09/world/asia/south-korea-exam-scandal

Summary: Recently, SAT test had been canceled across the whold of South Korea. Many students felt panic because it was almost the first extreme decision that College board made. It was due to a leak of SAT questions and answers before the tests on January. Many students had to cancel their tests and had to wait for the next SAT. 

Opinion: As a student preparing for SAT in Korea, i feel very bad about Koreans for leaking the questions and answers. Because of some immoral teachers from Seoul SAT academies, many students are having troubles and will going to be harder time getting into American colleges. I hope everyone to be moral so that every student would get to college fairly with equal opportunities.

Relation: It is a big amount of economic loss in Korea. Korea lost its faith and the international students would be harder to get into college. Or the colleges would accept the students who can pay a lot of money. It is like taking away of money from Koreans more and more. Also, Korean students who are paying a lot of money to study for SAT means a big loss to Korean economy. I think we should fix the problem.

CNN News- 130517

Orphaned and homeless: Surviving the streets of North Korea

By Madison Park, CNN

May 14, 2013 -- Updated 1129 GMT (1929 HKT)

read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/13/world/asia/north-korea-orphans

Summary: The first time Yoon Hee was abandoned, she was an infant. Six months after her birth, her parents divorced and left her in the care of a friend. When she was 8, she had gone back to live with her mother. But she left her again and she was sent into the street. Like the general North Korean children, she had to freeze to death in winters, beg for mercy, pluck grass for food, and cry so hard at night for loneliness and starvation. But in the middle of those situations, she was undeterred- saying "I HAD A HOPE". A U.N. assessment in March found that country's estimated 28 million people, 16 million are chronically deprived of food. Nearly 28% of North Korean children suffer from stunting, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affair. She determined to leave North Korea and go to South. Two years after her arrival in Seoul, Yoon Hee's days are busy from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. with studies and a part-time job. She sleeps on the floor inside a pristine wood-paneled room with a white teddy bear, lying next to the other North Korean girls on pink blankets.

Opinion: I appreciate to Yoon He for not giving up the hope and left for what she wants. In North Korea, the unemployment has increased in these days. Those who are unemployed have no place to sleep, live, and eat. Still many people are suffering from the starvation and fight earnestly to survive. I think for North Koreans who came to South, should get job in South Korea and South government should increase the job in order to save North Koreans.

Bloomberg- 130503

Apple Inc.’s sale of bonds this week was the biggest corporate offering on record. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Apple Avoids $9.2 Billion in Taxes With Debt Deal

By Peter Burrows - May 3, 2013 1:01 PM GMT+0900

read more from :http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-02/apple-avoids-9-2-billion-in-taxes-with-debt-deal.html


Summary: Apple Incs. avoided $9.2 billion in taxes by financing part of a $55 billion stock buyback with debt, Moody's Investment Services estimated. Based on current rates, Apple should pay interest of about $308 million a year on the $17 billion bond offering. In general, if the funds had come from Apple's offshore cash about $100 billion, iPhone makers did have to pay a 35% tax to repatriate the money. It means that Apple avoided taxes of $9.2 billion. Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said on an April 23 conference will be held in order to provide benefits, a reduction cost of capital and an efficient leverage of the balance sheet. 

Opinion: This must be lies! It does not make sense that Apple Incs. has not paid the tax of that big amount of tax. As Apple Incorporation is known as one the biggest and most successful business in the world, they should show respectfulness to the law and be the good model to every business and individual as well. And keeping the law can gain the trust from others. 

Related to Economics: As the demand of the products increase, the incorporation should expect consumer's expectation. The more honest the business be, the more consumers can trust and buy the product from the company.

Korean Herald

N. Korea says inter-Korean relations enter into war phase

Published 2013-03-30

North Korean students participate in a rally to show support for their leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Thursday,

read more from:http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130330000042

Summary: North Korea said that inter-Korean relations have entered into a state of war and all cross-border issues will be dealt with in a wartime manner. The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un put strategic rocket units threatening to strike targets in South Krea. It means North-South relations will be put at the state of war. "The state of neither peace nor war has ended on the Korean Peninsula," the Korean Central News Agency said. But the Korea is saying there is no change in our position that will continue the Kaesong industrial complex in a stable manner. North Korea is threatening the Koreans to be divided and have conflicts in it, but it is not working as well, so far. We view the latest warning as part of a series of provocative threats, the statement said.

Opinion: It had been almost a month since North Korea threatened South Korea and U.S to attack South Korea soon. In contrast to North Korea's threat and quit of Kaesong industry, and even though North Korea had said foreigners in South Korea has to leave and go back to their own countries, South Koreans are not that threatened yet. We are afraid, yet eagerly preparing the military to set war as soon as possible if needed. So far, there was no any attack from the threatening. It is time for North Korea to solve the conflicts with other world and forsake the communism or keep their pride and begin war. Of course war should not happen, so every countries should do their best to conciliate and discuss with North Korea what they want and what they should not do .