February 28th 2014 - Entry #10

Ontario’s quirk of letting chief justice set provincial fines should be changed, lawyers say

Toronto Star

By: Jacques Gallant

Fri Feb 28 2014

Ontario is the only province in the country that allows a senior judge, and not the government, to establish fines for provincial offences. Justice ministries in the nine other provinces told the Star that fines for those offences are made by legislation, with no provisions that allow for a chief justice to modify the penalties. This policy has at least two prominent lawyers saying that it needs to be changed. This problem was recognized this week when Annemarie Bonkalo, chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice, signed a judicial order, raising distracted driving fines from $155 to $280, including other charges effective March 18th. Ontario has a large range in its legislation, but the final decision comes down to the Chief Justice who has the authority to set the province wide fine within the range of the specific offence. 

I feel that Ontario should change the current policy and switch so that the government has te final say in driving fines. Not some random dude. I think that there should be a vote from the people to see what we really want. I personally would vote for the government to have the final say in driving fines, just like the other nine provinces of Canada. We are one country, we should have the same laws and fines. with all the different laws and fines throughout the country, it can get confusing for the people. they should be the same, it would be easier for the people and make more sense. 

Entry #9 - February 25th

Many in China Can Now Have a Second Child, but Say No

Dan Lavin 

February 25th 2014 

Beijing China. After over three decades of most Chinese families limited to only one child, they are now allowed a second child. But many say they will not take advantage of the new policy and stay with just one child in the family. This is because of the rising cost of Child-rearing (raising a child). Mao Xiaodan, a 27 year old lawyer said she will not consider a second baby because she will then have less money for  for children that would provide them with the best chance on succeeding in life. She also said that one of her husbands co-workers had twins, and just putting them through elementary school has nearly bankrupt his family. The new policy says that parents in which only one is an only child, can now have a second baby. Before the policy was only married couples in which both parents are an only child, can have a second baby. The government has estimated that 15 million to 20 million Chinese couples will be expanding their families. Helping the depleting birth rate that has left China with a dangerous imbalance in both age and sex. But only about half of those couples are willing to have a second baby- According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.  Many couples were interviewed about having another child. Most said they did not want a second baby because of cost, some cited a persistent cultural norm that requires husbands to provide an apartment, a car and other things to a bride, demands that can push a larger family into debt.

I would assume that many families are very happy about the new policy. Others couldn't care any less. I have Two brothers, and i know that If i was an only child I would not have as much fun at home as I do now. I wouldn't ever want to be an only child, I feel that I'd get lonely and bored just being with my parents all the time. I think that a lot of Chinese children will have more fun with another sibling. 

February 20th 2014 - Entry #8

As Deaths Rise in Kiev, So Do Fears Ukraine Will Use Troops

By ANDREW E. KRAMER and ANDREW HIGGINS

New York Times 

FEB. 20, 2014

Kiev Ukraine. A new, deeper spiral of violence occurred on Thursday as both protesters and riot police used fire arms in the deadliest day so far. Fear that President Viktor F. Yanukovych would declare a state of emergency intensified. This move could cause the military to be deployed. The former Soviet republic of 46 million hurtled toward a dangerous new phase in a three-month political crisis after a truce announced overnight by Mr. Yanukovych and opposition leaders collapsed amid accusations of treachery on both sides. The Kiev municipal health authorities said that 39 people had been killed on Thursday, bringing the total number of dead in three days of mayhem to at least 67 people. There has been unconfirmed statements stating that 70 protesters in Kiev had been killed and hundreds wounded by gunfire in a confrontation with the police. Either number of deaths would still be known as the deadliest day of the conflict to date. It looked unlikely that Mr. Yanukovych could restore his battered authority and regain control of the capital. The only thing that was entirely clear by Thursday afternoon was that protesters had reclaimed and even expanded territory in the center of Kiev that they had lost just two days earlier. They had lost this land when the police launched a bloody, unsuccessful assault on the independents square, the center of protests since late November. People from the anti-Yanukovych western part of the country were climbing on to buses to travel to Kiev in support of the protesters. As many as 600 were leaving the city of Lviv every day. 

February 5th - Entry #5

Russia Blocks Several Activists From Olympics, Even as Spectators

By ANDREW E. KRAMER

FEB. 4, 2014

Sochi Russia - The hosts of the upcoming Winter Olympic games made it clear a long time ago that they would not allow any political protests at their Winter Games. Now it seem they are having second thoughts on even having dissidents attend as spectators. The Russian Olympic Committee has quietly prohibited several Russian political activists from attending sporting events by denying them their Olympic passports. These Olympic passports are mandatory along with a ticket to gain access to any sporting event.  The passports were put into place because of security precautions. All spectators must register online and then pick up the pass at an airport or a distribution center, just a ticket alone will not allow entry to a sporting event. The Olympic passport is an identification card that fans wear on lanyards. It is one of several security precautions the Russian authorities have used to minimize the risk of a terrorist attack at the Games, which start Friday.

I feel that the Russians have done a great job on cracking down on security to make sure so terrorist attacks occur at their games. If I was one of the athletes going to Russia, I would have been terrified after the terrorists attack threats. After the new precautions were put into the place I feel that the athletes do feel safer and more at home.  

Entry #7 - February 18th 2014

Bombings in Syria Force Wave of Civilians to Flee

By BEN HUBBARD

FEB. 17, 2014

Kilis, Turkey. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians have fled rebel-help parts of the city of Aleppo. recently, the city has been held under heavy bombing attacks from the Syrian Government. The bombing has emptied whole neighborhoods creating what aid workers have said is one of the largest refugee flows of the entire civil war. As many as 500,000 people have flooded the country side. This has caused growing populations in war-battered cities that are already low on space and supplies and pushing a new wave of refugees into Turkey. Much of this human tide has crashed in a once quiet, peaceful border town, where no the Syrians outnumber the original 90,000 Turkish inhabitants. The Syrian streets are covered with homeless men, women, and children, all desperate for food, water and money. Ambulances are constantly on the move, taking war victims through town to the medical facilities. Attacks on the town of Aleppo have recently accelerated, as the international talks of ending the war have stalled. The Obama administration has begun reviewing its Syria policy to find new ways to pressure the government of president Brashar-al-Assad. While the United States is exploring new potential strategies, analysts say, Mr.Assad is forging ahead with his own strategies. Pounding civilians out of rebel held districts. 

I think that the Obama administration should hurry up and consider new strategies to end the Syrian war before it's too late. While they discussed new ways, the war slowed down. But now its started up again and more civilians are dying or becoming homeless from the bombing attacks.  

Entry #6 - February 10th 2014

Mayor Rob Ford launches YouTube series, admits he lied about drug use

February 10th 2014 

By: Tim Alamenciak 

Thestar.com 

Mayor Rob Ford is at again with his his newly launched YouTube channel. He launched his first video and openly admitted to lying about his drug use. He said that he lied about the usage because he was "embarrassed" and “didn't want to tell the truth.” Ford isn't alone is these videos. Him and his brother, Councillor Doug Ford, appear together in 4 videos that we launched this morning on their YouTube channel. One of the videos was titled "Rob Ford comes clean” this video features a question from a girl named Sandra who lived in Bangkok Thailand. She asked why he lied about his substance abuse problem in the first place. he answered with - “A) I do not have a substance abuse problem,” Ford says. “Did I experiment with drugs? Yes I have. Why did I lie? I think everybody in the world has lied. Because I was embarrassed. I didn't want to tell the truth." He goes into a rant on why he had lied. He says he was embarrassed, that everyone lies to cover this up that they don't want to reveal to others. "When they ask me, it’s very, very humiliating" In the first video, entitled “Ford Nation begins …” the brothers introduce themselves and the mayor once again repeats his widely-disputed claim that his administration has saved Toronto’s taxpayers $1 billion. 

I guess this YouTube channel is a good idea for Ford. Him and his brother can talk to the people and tell them what they want whenever they want. It's is good way to get messages across to people and fill them in on information. 

Entry #4 February 3rd 2014

Libya’s Cache of Toxic Arms All Destroyed

February 3rd 2014

Eric Schmitt

The New York Times 

As the international effort to destroy Syria's chemical weapons stock pile falls behind schedule, a similar American backed campaign carried out under secrecy has ended in another strife-torn country - Libya. The United States and Libya in the past few months have quietly destroyed what both sides say were the last remains of Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi's lethal stock of chemical arms. They used a transportable oven technology device to destroy hundreds of bombs and artillery shells filled with deadly mustard gas. American's had feared that these deadly weapons would fall into the hands of terrorists. The last weapon shell was reportedly destroyed on January 26th. “It’s a big breakthrough,” said Paul F. Walker, an arms control expert with the environmental group Green Cross International who has helped in efforts to demilitarize the American and Russian chemical weapons stockpiles since the 1990s. “Even though Libya’s chemical stockpile was relatively small, the effort to destroy it was very difficult because of weather, geography and because it’s a dangerous area with warring tribes, increasing the risks of theft and diversion,” he said. Libya’s last two tons of chemical weapons were dwarfed by the 1,300 tons that Syria has agreed to destroy.

Now I know that i do not want chemical weapons in the hands of terrorists. That goodness the weapons have been destroyed. Who knows that terrorists would have done with them. I know i do not want to find out. This mission was complicated, but they completed it very well and I know many people are very happy they have.

Entry #3 February 3rd 2014

Castaway wants to return to Mexico after Pacific ordeal

February 3rd 2014

BBC News 

"I want to go back to Mexico" Jose Salvador Albarengo. A castaway who says he spent more than a year adrift in the pacific ocean. Jose left mexico with a friend in a fiber glass boat, in December 2012. He apparently survived the 8,000 km (5,000-mile) ordeal by catching fish, birds and turtles with his bare hands. He also told reporters that his travelling companion died sat sea many months ago. There hasn't been any reports on how his 24ft boat ran into trouble or how his companion died. The castaway told the local deputy US ambassador Norman Barth, who was acting as an interpreter for Marshall Islands authorities, that he was originally from El Salvador, but had been living in Mexico for 15 years before his voyage. His boat had many different sea animals growing on the bottom of it, with many turtle shells and fish leftovers inside. Castaways from Kiribati, to the south, frequently find land in the Marshall islands after ordeals of weeks or months at sea in small boats. 

How did this guy survive for this long at sea? I don't get how some people could survive with absolutely nothing for 14 months at sea. You can't drink the sea water, so you'd have to wait and wait for it to rain just so you can get a little sip of water. Catching fish must have been awfully hard. I couldn't imagine how many times he'd have to try and try again to get some food. But I guess when you're in a life or death situation, you know its what you need to do to survive and you keep trying. When Jose was found he must have been over joyed. He had been alone for months, and without real food for over a year. He did what he had to do and he survived.