Najera,+Amara


 * __ASIA UNIT__

Post #1 - 01/29/10 'Japan deflation hits a record pace to threaten recovery'

Summary:** According to the lastest official data, Japanese consumer prices have been falling at a record pace. Prices fell by 1.2% in December, which has been the biggest drop in Japan since 1970. This is a huge disadvantage to the economy, due to high job loss and other major problems. The economy had been recovering from earlier issues, and is therefore suffering again in that the recovery is now being slowed down because of this deflation.

BBC News - [] CNBC News - []
 * Sources:**

//BBC// gives a much more concise report; //CNBC// gives a lot of details. Some of these details are very helpful in understanding the article, while some of them are unnecessary, making the article a bit too long. Both articles use a lot of quotes, but different ones. //BBC// uses a picture, but it doesn't really add to the effectiveness of presenting their information and is therefore not a major discrepancy.
 * Comparison:**

It's too bad that Japan has to undergo this problem, especially when they were just on the road to recovery. However, the deflation of their economy may be a big advantage to the U.S. and other major acceptors of Japan's imports because we'll be able to receive goods at lower prices than usual. I think that the problem probably won't escalate much further because according to the article(s), parliament and the Bank of Japan seem to have good management plans over the issue as a whole.
 * Opinion:**


 * __AFRICA UNIT__**

**Congo’s Death Rate Unchanged Since War Ended Summary:** According to a recent survey, the Democratic Republic of Congo has the highest death rate in all of Africa at an astonishing 57 percent higher than other countries, despite the fact that the civil war ended five years ago. This survey estimates that approximately 45,000 people are dying there a month. The majority of these deaths are because of hunger and disease, which shows us that they’re still struggling with the aftermath of the violence that took place. They’ve noticed that in some parts of the country, death rates are even higher than they were before. About half of the people that are dying are children under the age of five. The Seattle Times - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004139789_congo23.html The New York Times - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/world/africa/23congo.html?_r=1 The article from //**The Seattle Times**// was about half the size of the //**New York Times**// article, but it didn’t seem to affect the ability to understand the situation clearly; it stated all of the same facts including numbers and other information about the country. //**The New York Times**// used many quotes that were well-spread throughout the article, and were relevant to the issue being discussed. **//The Seattle Times//** only used one or two quotes making the article a little less interesting. Neither source used pictures. This information is actually very shocking to me. It’s sad how we hear things like this and don’t even do anything to help. The articles stated that the government is only giving the average family $15 a year for healthcare. This makes me wonder if it’s because they really don’t have enough money to give out more, or if the government is just corrupt. I also want to know why the death rates have gone //**up**// since the war, not down. They ought to do another survey/study and find out this information so that they can put it all together and have enough research to be able to think of some solutions to this problem.
 * Post #6 - 12/04/09**
 * Sources:**
 * Comparison:**
 * Opinion:**

According to a recent survey, the Democratic Republic of Congo has the highest death rate in all of Africa at an astonishing 57 percent higher than other countries, despite the fact that the civil war ended five years ago. This survey estimates that approximately 45,000 people are dying there a month. The majority of these deaths are because of hunger and disease, which shows us that they’re still struggling with the aftermath of the violence that took place. They’ve noticed that in some parts of the country, death rates are even higher than they were before. About half of the people that are dying are children under the age of five. The Seattle Times - http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004139789_congo23.html The New York Times - **http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/world/africa/23congo.html?_r=1 ** The article from //The Seattle Times// was about half the size of the //New York Times// article, but it didn’t seem to affect the ability to understand the situation clearly; it stated all of the same facts including numbers and other information about the country. //The New York Times// used many quotes that were well-spread throughout the article, and were relevant to the issue being discussed. //The Seattle Times// only used one or two quotes making the article a little less interesting. Neither source used pictures. This information is actually very shocking to me. It’s sad how we hear things like this and don’t even do anything to help. The articles stated that the government is only giving the average family $15 a year for healthcare. This makes me wonder if it’s because they really don’t have enough money to give out more, or if the government is just corrupt. I also want to know why the death rates have gone //up// since the war, not down. They ought to do another survey/study and find out this information so that they can put it all together and have enough research to be able to think of some solutions to this problem. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msoasciithemefont: minor-latin; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msobidithemefont: minor-latin; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastlanguage: EN-US; msofareastlanguage: EN-US; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msofareastthemefont: minor-latin; msohansithemefont: minor-latin; msohansithemefont: minor-latin;">Post #4 - 11/20/09 ** Egyptian soccer fans riot against Algeria The Associated Press: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i1oyIUDrxT-wFEy1_mj4Sn1IXLCgD9C3BK980 Yahoo - **http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-egypt-algeria-soccerrow&prov=ap&type=lgns ** These two articles were very similar. They both explained what exactly happened between the two groups, and gave good details on how people were affected by the incident. They used all of the same quotes, and these quotes were all relative to the topic, which helps give a better understanding of the situation because you can hear it from the point of view of people who were actually there. I think that people should not dedicate so much of their emotions and energy to sports. I understand that it’s a huge part of some people’s lives, but they shouldn’t go to such extremes. I also think that the Egyptians shouldn’t have reacted the way they did towards Algerians, because it’s not like all Algerian people contributed to the violence that took place between the two groups. As stated in both articles, FIFA needs to step in and do something to make sure that this doesn’t happen again after such rivalries take place during big tournaments.
 * Post #5 - 11/27/09**
 * Congo’s Death Rate Unchanged Since War Ended **
 * Summary: **
 * Sources: **
 * Comparison: **
 * Opinion: ** 
 * 
 * Summary: **
 * Egypt’s national soccer team was defeated by its bitter rival, Algeria, earlier this week in the World Cup tournament. Egyptians began hearing reports that Algerians had been attacking and injuring Egyptians after winning the game, which is what caused this huge outbreak of acts of cruelty, resulting in many people injured. Egyptians burned Algerian flags, and rioted outside the Algerian Embassy in Cairo, smashing cars and shop windows. One man stated, “If you insult my dignity…I will beat you on the head.” Something as simple as sports caused people to get serious, a little TOO serious. **
 * Sources: **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Comparison: **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Opinion: **<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">

** Somali Pirates Seize Cargo Ship ** Pirates in Somalia have hijacked a cargo ship and are holding all of the crew members hostage. The Seattle Times - [] Al Jazeera - **[]** Both of these are articles are very brief. //Al Jazeera// used a quote, but //The Seattle Times// didn't use any quotes. //Al Jazeera// gives a lot of definite number facts on other recent pirate hostages, while //The Seattle Times// is less specific and doesn't give as much information. //Al Jazeera// went more in-depth overall. I think this is rediculous. First off, I didn't even really know that pirates were still around. It sounds really sterotypical. Anyways, these people who are being held hostage didn't do anything to deserve this. I think the Somalian government needs to step in and put a stop to all of it if possible.
 * Post #3 - 11/13/09**
 * Summary:**
 * Sources:**
 * Comparison:**
 * Opinion:**

U.S. protests killings, rapes in Guinea** **Summary:** On September 28th, 2009, hundreds of women were raped and killed in Conakry, Guinea. Armed soldiers took turns raping woman and shooting people to death. Many women escaped, but many died from gun wounds or being trampled. The Seattle Times - [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">BBC News - **[]** Both articles provide the same basic facts; numbers and dates. I noticed that //The Seattle Times// used many quoted from witnesses and people of power, but //BBC News// barely had any quotes at all. Both articles had the same main cover picture, but //BBC News// had many other pictures to go along with the main one. //BBC News// had more of a personal/opinion style of writing, and //The Seattle Times// was more journalistic. What happened that day is absolutely terrible. It makes me think: How did this happen without someone being able to stop it? Why would they even do something like that? I think this must've been a wake-up call for the Guinean government to stop and think about what our world has come to these days.
 * Post #2 - 11/06/09
 * Sources:**
 * Comparison:**
 * Opinion:**

Oil Company Agrees to Ivory Coast Waste Settlement** **Summary:** In August 2006, an oil-trading company named Trafigura dumped hundreds of tons of waste in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Just last month, the company agreed to a settlement proposed by people who became ill shortly after the toxic waste was released. They will have to pay each person who was affected about $1500.The case involves about 30,000 who got sick or died. A spokesperson for the company said that there’s no evidence that the waste has anything to do with what happened to the people, and even denied that the waste was toxic. An expert said that after researching the incident, they did find a connection between the waste and the deaths and illnesses. The Seattle Times - __http://seattletimes.nwsource. com/html/nationworld/ 2009903998_ apeubritaintoxicwaste.html__ BBC News - __http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_ news/politics/8312780.stm__ **Comparison:** The general ideas of both articles are the same. Neither one is supporting one person’s side on the issue; they both just state the facts. One thing I noticed is that //The Seattle Times// gave a definite number on how many victims there were, while //BBC News// just said “thousands”. Another difference is that //The Seattle Times// has a more in-depth title, while //BBC News// uses a very general statement as their title. Lastly, //The Seattle Times// used many quotes from Trafigura representatives, while //BBC News// didn’t use any quotes. I don’t think it’s very thoughtful of them to try and deny that their careless actions are what resulted in all of these victims with health problems. 30,000 people really is a lot. It’s obvious that it was Trafigura’s fault, because it can’t be a coincidence that all of these people got sick or died right after the dumping of waste occurred. I’m glad they’re at least giving these victims compensation for their suffering, but they need to take more responsibility for what happened.
 * Post #1 - 10/30/09
 * Sources:**
 * Opinion:**