Former South Korean President commits suicide

Former South Korean President named Roh Moo Hyun, had committed suicide on May 23. He jumped off a 100 ft cliff that was behind his rural home. He was 62 when he died and served as President. He killed himself because he was in a bribery scandal with companies. He denied it himself, but the media said that he was lying. He had gone hiking near his home with an aide about 6:30 a.m. Saturday (5:30 p.m. ET on Friday), the state-run Yonhap news agency said. He had head injuries and got rushed to hospital and died at 9:30 a.m. He left a suicide note for his family saying how life was difficult and he made too many people in Korea suffer. A shocked President Lee Myung-Bak described the death as a national tragedy. "It is truly hard to believe what happened. It is a sad, tragic incident," he was quoted by his spokesman as saying. Roh's body was taken in a convoy to his retirement village, where aides said the funeral would be held. Uniformed police lined the route out of the hospital.

In my opinion, this is extremely saddening for me since I am a Korean citizen myself. When I first heard this news, I could not believe it. I couldn't imagine what kind of pain President Roh Moo Hyun to jump off a cliff and kill himself. His suicide note was truly saddening, and many people in Korea had fainted because of the incident. Many people had also cried and blamed the media. Regardless of how good or bad of a Roh was, he did not deserve to be treated so badly by the media. This is a very good example of how much Presidents go through. The stress of taking care of a whole country, and even though he wasn't running, he still had responsibility and couldn't take it. He had his whole family and a country on his shoulders. I send my condolences to Roh's family.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/431354/1/.html

North Korea tests out nuclear device

North Korea has carried out an underground nuclear test today, and it is bigger than the one that they produced in 2006. Pyongyang annonced the test, and Russia's minister of Defence confirmed that there will be an atomic explosion at 9:54 a.m. local time in northeastern North Korea. The bomb's blast is estimated at 10 to 20 kilotons, and it is very similar to the bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Today, the North Korean Central News agency has said that this is for "self defence". President Barack Obama said a nuclear test would constitute an act of "blatant defiance" of the UN Security Council and a violation of international law, and only further isolate North Korea.North Korea's claims "are a matter of grave concern to all nations," he said, calling for international action in a statement from Washington. "North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security." Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said the UN Security Council will meet at 4:30 p.m. today in New York. "North Korea's nuclear test poses a grave challenge to nuclear non-proliferation and clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions," he said in Tokyo. "We are not tolerating this at all."

North Korea is evil but I have a feeling that they are doing something extremely smart and sliding under the radar here. It is hard to believe that they would make a nuclear bomb just for "self defence" and no more. As Barack Obama said, this is a breach in the international law. I think the United Nations and all the other countries should meet with Kim Chong Il and whoever is encharge of this. Nobody in the world wants another relapse of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945. North Korea is clearly up to something here because you don't see any other countries making bigger and bigger nuclear bombs! Also, nobody is going to attack North Korea.

North Korean Soldiers on the border of China.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/639824

Russian Lesbians

A Russian lesbian couple were not allowed to marry in Moscow, therefore decided/hope to go to Toronto to get married. This is under Ontario laws, and therefore allows same-sex marriages. While they are under the Ontario law, they plan on changing the Russian law. Irina Fedotova-Fet, 30, said her partner, Irina Shipitko, 32, expected to be rejected in their quest for a Moscow wedding, but they still have their heads up high for this wedding, if approved, would act as a precedent for sweeping changes in favour of gay marriage in Russia. "I'm frustrated that I cannot do what I planned (marry) in my native country," Fedotova-Fet said through a translator from the couple's home in Moscow yesterday. "Canada and Norway are the only two countries where we can have this done." The couple made international headlines when they wanted to get to get married in Moscow and the Moscow State Registry Office immediately rejected the couple to be married. "I think we're the first (Russian) couple to try and do this," she said, noting "Canada is a popular destination for the Russian gay community."

This shows how much of a fair and good place Canada is. Regardless of who is against gay people in Canada, the law says that same-sex marriages are legal. I personally have nothing against same-sex marriages. If people happen to fall in love with the same sex, then so be it! Gender doesn't count when it comes to love/marriage. They are going to bring awareness all around the world, since they are the first couple to ever do this. Only Canada and Norway have this, maybe this will bring more countries to realize that same-sex marriage should be allowed.

http://www.thestar.com/article/636033

Kensington Market creates controversy...

The Jews and the Israelians have had long standing tensions with one another, and recently flared up again. This time it was because of an art installation set to debut next week. The Koffler Centre for the Arts has announced that it will be withdrawed, it was an exhibit about the life in Kensington market. They have withdrawed because of one woman named Reena Katz who is an artist. Katz,33, has been part of Israeli Apartheid Week, which is a controversial international movemnt on university campuses. They have been known to be criticizing the Israelians. "I'm shocked. I'm disgusted," said the visual and sound artist, who believes this is a case of blacklisting. "What they claim that I have said is not at all what I've said." On the website it has said that the Koffler Centre said it only recently discovered of Katz's public support and association with Israeli Apartheid Week. "As a Jewish cultural institution, an agency of UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the Koffler Centre of the Arts will not associate with an artist who publicly advocates the extinction of Israel as a Jewish state," the statement said. "The Koffler considers the existence and well-being of Israel as a Jewish state to be one of its core values." Katz said that the decision that the Koffler centre has made was a surprise. "I have said that I'm an anti-Zionist Jew. So they are conflating the state of Israel with Zionism," she said in an interview. "I'm speaking to an ideology when I speak about Zionism. They're speaking about a Jewish state." Katz has said that her political views were raised cause of the Koffler Centre. They agreed with the project that Katz was doing.

In my opinion, this is just a woman who has an opinion! I don't think she's the only one who has this opinion, and there are probably more people who are on Katz's side. This project of her's is just what is being expressed in her OWN opinion. There is no reason to make this a big deal. Races will always dislike each other for various reasons. This even happens in the Asian culture to, Japan and Korea, Korea and China. There are groups that are against another group all around this world. This is way out of hand, and I don't criticize this woman for her views. If she has these views, so be it. Why make a huge fuss out of it?

Above: Artist Reena Katz, who holds pro-Palestinian views, developed her 'each hand as they are called' exhibit to celebrate Jewish life in Kensington Market

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/631984

6 shot at Etobicoke birthday party

A birthday party was full on in an Etobicoke townhouse until around 3 a.m. when three men dressed in black arrived at the townhouse. One of the three open fired and according to neighbours they heard approximately 10 gun shots. The men were looking for a specific person, and one started firing to try to hit the person he was looking for. The people in the party ran out of the house, and they ran through the back door of the house. Six people were injured, and three people were in critical condition. Four of the six managed to escape, and two found their way to the St.Joseph's Health Centre. One man got shot in the face and was transferred to the Sunnybrook hospital. Two others showed up later at other hospitals. When ambulances arrived at the scene, they found two other injured men, one shot in the back and the other in the leg. Five of the victims are men in their 20s; police have not released the age of the sixth injured person. Police didn't confirm if the violence was gang-related or if it was connected to other recent shootings.

In my opinion, this looks like a person who had beef with another person and rounded up two of his friends then did this. In the article it said that there were three shootings in less than 2 weeks in the western part of Toronto. It is hard to say whether or not there is a solution to this. There are things called neighbourhood watchings, but personally I don't think it takes that much effect on the neighbourhood itself. Crime happens, you can't stop it. Not everyone is going to go by the law, and I think that these shootings are one of those things that the police should simply let go. If they want to find a solution, then they should have tighter security in the western part of Toronto.

http://www.thestar.com/gta/crime/article/632041

Nurse urged 5 to commit suicide, U.S. police say

A Minnesota man who apparently, according to the police, has encouraged a teen from Brampton to kill herself. This occured last year, and he has ad mitted to investigators that he has advised 5 people to commit suicide through the internet. The Minnesota man was identified as William Francis Melchert-Dinkel, 46. Police say that he is a person of ,"interest". Kajouji was an 18 year old who attended Carleton University student who got depressed after leaving home. She commited suicide by drowning herself in March 2008. Her family was talking to the police, and discovered that she was talking to an internet predator known as having the name,Cami. He encouraged to hang herself so he could watch from the webcam. When the police talked to Melchert he did say that he was telling teens through the internet to hang themselves and other methods for four to five years. "Melchert-Dinkel admitted he has asked persons to watch their suicide via webcam but has not done so." Police say. His nursing license has been temporarily suspended, and no charges have been made yet. Here is what he said to a woman over the internet, and there are spelling errors."Most importatn is the placement of the noose on the neck as ive sai before which of course they dont tell you on any site ..." Cami writes.

In my opinion, this is a prime example of poor parenting and sexual predators. The parents of Kajouji should be aware that she is encountering sexual predators and is depressed. How is it that the police found out before the parents did? I find that really stupid, cause my parents always do whatever they can to contact me. If I were a parent, then I would do whatever I can to contact my son/daughter. I would actually go all the way to the university if I were Kajouji's parents. Sexual predators are extremely dangerous, and they can find out information from you very easily. She was just a troubled girl, and needed help from peers,parents, counselors, and especially parents.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/631689

Schoolyard Scrap!

It was a typical school scrap, they get mad at each other for something and they get in each other's faces then punches are thrown. But this time it went a little different, It happened at Keswick High School during a speedball game. The racially charged taunts, and the punch thrown by the white school boy was literally heard around the world. The Chief wants prosecutor to take away the charges against the Korean youth,15, who has a black belt in tae kwon do. It happened two weeks ago when tempers got out of hand during a speedball game in which the Korean youth tripped a second teen. After, the tripped youth abruptly took the ball out of the first youth's hands. "Words were exchanged, shoving ensued and the tripped youth threw the first punch – along with a string of nasty invective that included "f---ing Chinese." The Korean youth broke the other teen's nose with his weaker left hand. The Korean youth only moved here with his family 5 years ago from Korea. The two boys had apologized to each other after, and they were both top students and they had never gotten in trouble before. Their families even apologized to each other. They are now deciding whether or not they should be expelled or not because the school is not allowed to not suspend them and is mandatory for them to take action because of the board of education.

This was just another incident. This probably happens every day, but i'm not too sure why this one was the one heard around the world. I believe that these two should only get suspended, and expulsion is over the top. Racial and physical contact are bad, but not bad enough for expulsion. In our school, if you get into a fight three times, then that is when you get expelled. Both teenagers never got in trouble before, and are very good academically at Keswick High School. If they have no previous record then why should there be such a harsh punishment? I'd say max 3-5 day suspension.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/630369