U.S. Drones Fight Mexican Drug Trade

The Obama administration started to fly more unarmed drones deep into Mexican territory to collect illegal drug trafficking information. The United States officials said that this plan would provide Mexican authorities to help manage illegal drugs passing Mexican territory to the United States. In fact, the drones had proved to be helpful when Mexican authorities used these drones to find several suspects linked to the Feb. 15 killing of Jaime Zapata, a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration agent. According to the U.S officials, they are capable of peering deep into Mexico and tracking criminals’ communications and movements .This decision was, however, kept in secret, because of legal restrictions in Mexico and heated political sensitiveness regarding their sovereignty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/americas/16drug.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=mexico%20immigration&st=cse

A lot of oil, little wealth. The people's struggle.

In the midst of political instability, Chevron Corporation and the United States Agency for International Development have agreed to provide $50 million in aid to the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, each providing $25 million. Over the past several years, Chevron has invested billions in establishing facilities in Nigeria to obtain oil. However, it has faced great opposition by neighboring people and tribal groups. The region's people have vandalized facilities and taken workers hostage, expressing their anger over the corrupted system. Although the oil in the area provides wealth to the country, the people continue to live in poverty, never seeing the profits from exported oil. Over 40% of Nigeria's population lives below the poverty line and the GDP per capita is $2400. People in Nigeria experience some of the worst living conditions and injustices, while the corrupted government profits from the country's oil. As Chevron continues to spend millions in securing their facilities, it is attempting to boost the area's economic development, improve government efficiency, and help reduce conflict. It is in the company's best interest for the government to operate efficiently and help improve the people's economic development. Although their efforts are self-interested, pressure for government efficiency from large corporations could be a positive influence. After all, money is at the center of conflict.


http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2011/02/17/chevron-usaid-50m-nigeria.html

"On" "Off" switch for Internet is in government's hand!

The government of Egypt already knew what could affect the government the most. The revolution occurred in Egypt recently. And the government acted in response of the revolution; the government of Egypt turned the internet "off."
Thesedays, everything is connected with internet. Since internet is densely wired globally, blocking the internet is impossible. However, the Mubarak government successfully blocked the internet for several days, so that they could at least make the revolution a bit calmer. Still, they failed to revive the Mubarak government.
The whole world is in shock, because the Mubarak government had proved that they could interfere the global internet.
Egyptian engineers assumes that the Mubarak government had exploited some vulnerabilities in the national infrastructure. Through these vulnerabilities, it seems the Mubarak government had gained power to control the internet for this kind of purposes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/technology/16internet.html?_r=1&ref=world

$aving for the Future in Nigeria?

"Nigerian Wealth Fund to Save for Future Generations"

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-10/nigerian-wealth-fund-to-save-for-future-generations.html

Nigeria is aware that it's oil reserves aren't everlasting, and they're apparently working to find ways to reserve it. The government plans on saving 20% of it's assets from crude oil exports in 3 separate mutual fund type accounts. The accounts would be untouchable for the most part, though the finance minister can withdraw some funds from the Stabilization Funds under extreme circumstances.

The plan sounds smart at first glance, but keep in mind the country desperately needs help NOW. Why not use the money from oil sales NOW to open more plants, boost the economy, and reduce poverty? Seems like common sense to me...

Nigeria's Presidential Elections- Jonathan finally an official candidate

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/nigeria/110211/nigeria-goodluck-jonathan-election

Nigeria's current president, Goodluck Jonathan, will be running for re-election in April for the first time as a real candidate. His current term of office began when he was Vice President and the President died which meant he needed to step up and become president. The former president was a northern candidate but Jonathan is a southern candidate so there is some controversy over whether he should be allowed to run because even though the north got to have their candidate win in the last election, they argue that they should be given another term because their president died after only a year. Technically it should be time for a southern candidate to win, which would be Jonathan. There have been multiple acts of violence at some of the campaign rallies and while Jonathan is traveling the country and trying to gain support from the northerners.

Egypt protesters gradually achieving their goal

After Iran's nuclear threat, Egpyt's gatherings has become another trouble for the West. Egypt is protesting against the futureless regime in Cairo and unwilling to openly assert that it wants a successor to Hosni Mubarak who would hold to his clear line against Iran becoming a nuclear power. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered together to press a peaceful campaign for the removal of President Hosni Mubarak.
There were several aggressive supporters of Mubarak. However, the opposition against Mubarak was so strong that supporters of Mubarak decreased greatly. Several government officials, began to appear in the scene of protest. The execution of Mubarak is becoming real....

Are American lawyers to good to do legal paperwork nowadays?

"Legal Ousourcing brings US / UK Attorneys to India"
Economywatch.com

More and more companies have resorted to Asian countries for cheap labor, and American lawyers are following the example into India. Instead of paying young American lawyers to do all of the dirty work - the endless paperwork, contracts, etc. - the new legal fad is to use the cheaper, yet still English-speaking and brilliant lawyers, in India. "It really is the future of legal services," claims Leah Cooper, Director of Legal Outsourcing for CPA global. The number of these legal outsourcing corporations in India has jumped from 40 in 2005 to 140 in 2009. The total profits of legal outsourcing has also increased 38% in just four years. Maybe Cooper is on to something...

Iran's Nuclear Facility

Iran has announced that its first nuclear power plant will begin to produce electricity on April 9, a few weeks after their previously expected date. Due to the computer worm Stuxnet, the plant has faced delays. However, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's atomic energy chief, stated that the virus had "not infected the "main systems" and that Iranians are "pursing work with the Russians while observing all the safety issues." It is reported that Stuxnet has mutated computerized industrial equipment in Iran, which could indicate the possibility of safety issues in the nuclear power plant. Salehi stated that "Westerners are not seeking people's health and security and will do anything to gain their aims even if it poses danger to human society." Countries continue to worry about Iran's true intentions with they nuclear facility, fearing that it could be a mask for the production of nuclear weapons. With the plan scheduled to open in April, nuclear talks with Iran seem to have very little room for negotiation.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110128/wl_afp/irannuclearpoliticsrussiabushehr_20110128142428

Still... No progress made

Two days talk between Iran and the other six countries ended up with no progress.
Iran refused any proposals made to stop nuclear building. Iran asserted that their nuclear building programs are for only peacful meanings. The officials from the other six countries expressed disappointment but with no surprise. The meeting ended with no other date set for another meeting. However, the officials are predicting that there will be another talking with Iran. The western officials claimed that “Iran must also show that its program is peaceful, and we cannot separate the rights in the treaty from the responsibilities." However, so far, Iran's unability to fully comply with the International Atomic Energy Agency proved the nuclear programs to be "peaceful."

Israel urges actions to stop Iran's nuclear programs, diplomatic or not

http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=204605

With the renewal of talks between Iran and six world powers taking place, former Mossad head Meir Dagan clarified the intention behind his comment, which said that Teheran would not have the bomb at least until mid-decade. Many saw this comment as a way of relieving pressure on Iran and creating a sense of complacency. However, Israeli officials clarified that Dagan's comment was intended to demonstrate to the international community that Iranian nuclear weapons were only a matter of time. It was meant to instill a sense of urgency by emphasizing that there is still time to act. The Israeli official said that the international community must "take advantage of the time and act forcefully" by supporting diplomatic and economic sanctions against Iran. Furthermore, he stated that "keeping the military option at center stage is also essential." On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, "Let them issue 100,000 resolutions" in reference to U.N. Security Council sanctions. Iran's U.N. ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, followed by stating that Iran will "never negotiate on our inalienable right to use nuclear energy for...peaceful purposes." With clearly opposing views and unwillingness to negotiate, a diplomatic approach on stopping Iran's nuclear program seems ineffective and doomed.

Guantanamo Ban Lifted

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/us/20trials.html?_r=1&ref=world

The Republicans in Congress have made it harder for Obama to move the prisoners into the US and have removed the ban that made it impossible for the detainees to receive trials. The lifting of the ban will allow many detainees to be charged with additional crimes, sentenced, and even given sentences without trials. Mr. Nashiri is the first detainee who will be tried and he is accused of planning the bombing of The Cole in 2000.

Valentine's Day Products Soon to hit the Black Market in Iran

"Valentine's Day Gifts, Banned: Where's the Love Iran?"

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/19/valentines-day-banned-iran/

Article published January 17/2011

“Printing and producing any products related to Valentine's Day, including posters, brochures, advertising cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses and any activities promoting this day are banned,” claims the Iranian, federally-managed media. Iranian officials explain that the holiday encourages sacrilegious romance and believe the Western holiday takes too big of an influence on the Iranian youth. The new ban does not (and could not) ban the act and emotion of love, but rather reinforces current Iranian law charging that "unmarried couples are not allowed to socialize."