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Welcome to the Global Current, your window to the world. Today we have a report on Toyota’s Global Recalls with Matt Ausloss and a report on Obama’s Nuclear Summit with Chris Sprague.
Headline Writers: Headline Anchors:
The Americas- Alyssa Alfano Kristen Velloza
The Middle East- Christiana Weidenz Quemars Ahmed
Africa- Andrea Borrelli In-Focus Anchors:
Asia- Anisha Mistry Noah Rothman
Europe- Renee Callender Zishan Jiwani
The Americas- Alyssa Alfano Kristen Velloza
The Middle East- Christiana Weidenz Quemars Ahmed
Africa- Andrea Borrelli In-Focus Anchors:
Asia- Anisha Mistry Noah Rothman
Europe- Renee Callender Zishan Jiwani
The Americas
Deadly Brazilian Landslide
Wednesday's Brazilian landslide is estimated to have killed nearly 200 people as rescue efforts continue. One neighborhood in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro built on an old garbage dump, collapsed during the landslide and buried many homes. There is no official count of how many are missing at this time. 30 Million May Lose Cell Phone Service in Mexico
Nearly 30 Million people may lose cell phone service in Mexico if the government enforces a new law that will require cell phones to be registered with the identity of the user. This law was passed in an effort to combat organized crime. Officials believed that if all cell phones are registered with the owner, it would be easier to indentify kidnappings that are carried out from anonymous phone lines.
Mexican Earthquake Affects Thousands
The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico and southern California on Sunday has killed at least 2 people and left 100 injured. These injuries have mainly affected those in Mexico. California and Arizona have reported only a limited amount of damage. More than 100 small aftershocks hit the region within the first 15 hours after the quake.
Haiti Faces Increase in Crime After Quake
Haiti has faced an increase in crime after January 15th's earthquake. More than 4,500 inmates escaped from one of the nation's largest prisons. Since the quake, the escapees have terrorized neighborhoods, looted stores, and have been responsible for the death of a Haitian National Police member. The circumstances surrounding the prison break are controversial, as many believe there was no way the prisoners could have escaped without the help of authorities.
Asia
Kyrgyzstan President Bakiev has fled the capital, Bishkek, as the revolts turn violent. President Bakiev is currently residing in the South, concealing his exact locations for safety. The opposition claims that Bakiev, who claimed presidency after a revolution in five years ago, is not a legitimate president and that the citizens are demanding a democratic election. President Bakiev, stands firmly behind his presidency and claims that he justly acquired his title.
Pakistan Steps Towards Democracy
Pakistan has taken a step towards becoming a democratic state by imposing a limit on presidential powers. By a unanimous Parliamentary vote, Pakistan has passed an amendment intended to reverse the damage that military rule has had to the Parliament’s power. This amendment prohibits the president from appointing a chief election commissioner and ballot results for the prime minister and chief ministers will no longer be kept a secret.
Low Voter turnout in Sri Lankan Elections
Africa
Boy Discovers New Species
A nine year old boy discovered a new species of humans Thursday in South Africa. Matthew Berger led his paleoanthropologist father, Lee R. Berger to the site of the bone he had simply tripped over. Lee Berger recognized the bone as a human one and with further investigation, found the skeletons of two hominids in a new species of pre- homo sapiens. This species is estimated to have lived between 1.78 and 1.95 million years ago and was built with many homo sapien features with the exception of more ape like arms.
The funeral for the white supremacist murdered in South Africa last week by two of his workers sparked controversial reactions from both black and white community leaders. With an increase in violence since the murder, leaders of both races have been trying to lead by example in the anti-apartheid mindset.
Middle East
Gag Order Lifted on Case Against Israeli Soldier
Israel has partially lifted a censorship order that has prevented media from reporting on an espionage case against a formal Israeli soldier. Anat Kam, 23, has been charged with "serious espionage" for allegedly giving more than 2,000 Israeli military documents to a journalist. She is accused of stealing these documents while performing her military duties last year.
Before this decision a court had ruled that local media could not report on Kam’s detention. She has been in detention since last December. Kam is believed to have leaked the “top secret” documents with the intention of compromising national security. Her spokesperson calls the claim false and said that Kam’s reason for sharing the documents were of a moral nature.
Iran announced on Monday of this week that they will host a nuclear disarmament summit later this month in an attempt to ease fears about Tehran’s intentions with nuclear technology. The conference called is open to more than 60 nations that have been invited to attend.
The only country that has announced its attendance is China, who is Tehran’s biggest trading partner. Many are skeptical as to the motivation behind the summit, as China has just joined international discussions of possible sanctions against Iran. Iran denies all claims that it is developing nuclear technology for anything other than a new source of energy.
The only country that has announced its attendance is China, who is Tehran’s biggest trading partner. Many are skeptical as to the motivation behind the summit, as China has just joined international discussions of possible sanctions against Iran. Iran denies all claims that it is developing nuclear technology for anything other than a new source of energy.
U.S. Approves Targeted Killing of American Cleric
The Obama administration made an unprecedented move this week in announcing the targeted killing of the radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen. This announcement comes as intelligence officials believe that al-Awlaki has began directly participating in the planning of attacks against the U.S. Officials believe that al-Awlaki is apart of Al Qaeda in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and it is believed that he has become a recruiter for the group. Al-Awlaki was born in New Mexico, and he is considered to be a threat because of his radical teachings and preachings to Muslim congregations. It is believed that while preaching in San Diego, one of his sermons was attended by two of the 9/11 hijackers.
Europe
Construction begins on Nord Stream Gas Pipeline
U.S. and Russia Create New Nuclear Arms Treaty
Presidents Obama and Medvedev have signed a landmark nuclear arms treaty in Prague, Czech Republic. Both countries have made a commitment to reduce the number of deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 while limiting the number of ballistic missiles and heavy bombers to 700. When the treaty is ratified by lawmakers in both countries, it will replace the expired Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of 1991. President Obama stressed that this is “just one step on a longer journey.”
The European Union has taken out its election observers from the Darfur region of Sudan, citing safety concerns. They had a great deal of “safety limitations” to deal with, and were threatened by President al-Bashir to be expelled and have their fingers and tongues cut off, after an attempt to push for a delay in the ballot. This is an important time in Sudan, with presidential, legislative and municipal elections set for Sunday. This election will be the first multi-party vote since 1986. The opposition parties are afraid that the polls will be a farce, in light of the conflict that is currently going on in the region. The SPLM, the main party of southern Sudan, and several others, have said that they will boycott the election due to fraud and security issues.
Toyota Faces Pressure Over Recalls
By Matt Ausloos
Becoming the world’s largest automaker in 2008 was a crowning achievement for Toyota, capping years of hard work and persistence that were rewarded by increasing sales and overall customer satisfaction.
However in recent months Toyota has been criticized for recalling more than 8 million cars globally following complaints that some of its vehicles had mechanical difficulties.
In the latest development, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood revealed on April 6 that the U.S. wants to slap Toyota with a $16.4 million fine, charging that the company “knowingly hid” safety problems in some of its vehicles. This is the first time that Toyota is faced with a fine in relation to its global recalls.
Earlier in the year, Toyota’s recalls invited scrutiny from the U.S. Congress. In an open letter, Democratic Congressman Edolphus Towns said, “The public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it.”
After initially seeking to remain in Japan to oversee the recalls, Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in Washington, D.C. on February 18. During the hearing, Toyoda was grilled by U.S. politicians about Toyota’s efforts to account for the recalls and any deficiencies present in its automobiles.
At the hearing, Toyoda told the committee that “the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick.” He said that Toyota’s rapid expansion caused its priorities to become confused and its mindfulness of customer opinion to become weakened.
Toyoda told the committee: “We pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization and we should be sincerely mindful of that.”
Toyoda’s apology came too little too late for many Toyota customers around the world and in Toyota’s home base of Japan. Toyota, founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937, came to symbolize Japan’s emergence from the devastation of World War II and its increasing economic self-confidence. Now, many people are questioning whether Toyota can still live up to the ideals it espouses, namely product quality, product safety, and customer satisfaction.
Toyota’s recalls stem from problems with several vehicles undergoing unintended acceleration. Cases of U.S. drivers experiencing sudden bursts of speed were reported in the media. Five known cases resulted in deaths. The problem was originally claimed to be pedal entrapment, which was caused by a front driver floor mat interfering with the foot pedal. However, in January, another recall was initiated after some crashes were shown to have not been caused by pedal entrapment. As of yet no definitive cause has been established for the accidents in the U.S.
Adding to Toyota’s litany of troubles, prosecutors in Orange County, California are suing the automaker, claiming it knew about vehicle defects in millions of vehicles it put on the market but later recalled.
The media has been especially critical of Toyota. Part of the problem is Toyota’s perceived lack of media savvy during the worst part of the crisis, as well as its belated reaction to media calls for an explanation.
Toyota has estimated that it will lose as much as $2 billion in costs and lost sales from its series of worldwide recalls. However, the damage to its reputation could be even more crippling.
Toyota is justifiably fearful that its dirtied image will cause some customers to permanently abandon the company and go to its competitors. Toyota’s problems may be a boost to struggling American carmakers like GM and Chrysler and other foreign competitors like Honda and Hyundai.
However, despite the trials Toyota currently faces, few believe the world’s largest automaker is on the road to long-term decline. The company can still take important steps to reassure customers in the U.S. and elsewhere that it is serious about regaining their shaken confidence.
President Obama’s Nuclear Summit
By Chris Sprague
President Obama plans to host representatives from 46 nations in Washington next week to
discuss international nuclear security. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs detailed that “the purpose of the summit is to discuss steps we can collectively take to secure vulnerable nuclear materials and prevent acts of nuclear terrorism.”
Mr. Obama has displayed an unwavering commitment to nuclear disarment, frequently raising the topic on the 2008 campaign trail and in speeches delivered both domestically and abroad since his term in office began. The Nobel Committee lauded his efforts to reduce the world’s nuclear weapons stockpiles, surprisingly awarding the 44th President with the prestigious Peace Prize in 2009.
Other recent developments in nuclear security suggest that the Obama Administration is attempting to build a comprehensive approach to nuclear disarmament while protecting U.S. interests in other areas of concern for the national security establishment. Mr. Obama has consistently defended an institutionalist foreign policy, veering from previous administration’s preference for realist displays of military power to achieve strategic objectives. The summit offers a multinational diplomatic environment for states to assert their position on nuclear proliferation, working towards collective solutions that improve the security of all nations.
The meeting comes at the heels of Thursday’s historic arms reduction agreement signed by Mr. Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, in Prague. The bilateral agreement aims to reduce current U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals by about a third, building on a previous arms reduction accord between the two world powers. START, or the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, was negotiated during the Reagan Administration, yet expired late last year.
One additional motive behind the reduction initative could be the complicated foreign policy dilemma posed by nuclear proliferation in Iran. While Tehran has repeatedly mantained that its nuclear program is for peaceful, domestic energy purposes only, the international community has not overwhelmingly accepted this explanation. Many nations and organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, have been critical of Iran’s nuclear program and have persistently pressed for disarmament.
Last year’s discovery of a previously hidden nuclear facility in Iran all but confirmed suspicions over the true nature of the Middle Eastern nation’s nuclear ambitions. The deal with Russia could potentially bring Moscow to the U.S. side in pressuring Tehran to dismantle its program in exchange for Western support for a domestic nuclear energy program. While France and the United Kingdom have supported U.S. policy towards Iranian nuclear proliferation in United Nations Security Council proceedings, Russia and China have been reluctant to follow suit.
Although the summit is primarily targeted at preventing the threat of nuclear terrorism, it is difficult to ignore the looming threat of a nuclear armed Iran. Tehran has been a consistent supplier of small arms to insurgency movements battling U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many fear the unpredictable regime could further their efforts to disrupt multinational efforts to stabilize the Middle East.
Noticably absent from next week’s summit will be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is sending Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor in his place. While some have suggested this to be a sign of tension in U.S. –Israeli relations, others cite international pressure for Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty as a possible reason for his desire to skip the meeting. Although it is widely held that Israel maintains a nuclear weapons stockpile to serve as a deterrent from hostile neighbors, including Iran, Israeli officials routinely refuse to confirm or deny the existence of a nuclear capability.
Despite Netanyahu’s absence, the summit will still address main issues facing the maturing Obama Administration. The threat of nuclear terrorism is far from imminent, however, proliferation emerging from reformist regimes is poised to disrupt international stability. Instead of military action, Mr. Obama has decided to bring nations together in the hopes of building constructive dialogue and a mulitnational consensus towards the future of international nuclear security. With extensive reduction agreements already signed, sealed and delivered, the summit aspires to expand the disarmament movement the world over.
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