Japanese Government Allows Death Chamber Viewing by Media

The Japanese government allowed their “death chambers” to be viewed by the media. There is currently a debate in Japan over the death penalty. Currently, the death penalty in Japan consists of hanging.

The media was allowed to take photographs of the chamber. There was a wooden box with a red trap door on it. The person who is sentenced to execution stands on the red door and a noose is tied around their neck. The trap door is opened, and they are hanged.

There’s also a Buddhist shrine and a viewing room inside. The shrine allows the person being executed to have religious representation.

Japan ’s Justice Minister Keiko Chiba was the first in such position to ever view an execution. After that, she’s been rallying against the death penalty system.

Although 80% of the Japanese support the death penalty, Amnesty International is trying to help in the rally against it. Conditions on death row make inmates go crazy. They are not told when they will be executed and their families are only told AFTER the hanging.

Do you think that the Japanese should have a system in the US where those on death row could be pardoned by a governor or the President?

Hillary Clinton: Secretary Of State Clinton, Arrived in Kabul on Monday

Hillary Clinton arrived in Kabul yesterday. The US Secretary of State has urged Afghanistan continuously to fight against and end the corruption that is rampant in the mountainous region. The US has been at war with Afghanistan since 2001.

Clinton and General David Petraeus are meeting with Hamid Karzai to discuss the future of Afghanistan and ensure that the country is acting on past promises. It's the hopes of the US that troops will be able to pull out.

The International Conference on Afghanistan takes place today, and many world leaders will meet to discuss the future of the war-torn country.

It's also been thrown around that there's a possibility that NATO forces will pull out of the region by 2014. If this is so, the country will have to be able to act independently without Western control.

The 2014 date may be a lofty goal, and it's also been speculated that the forces will be reduced - not eliminated by that date. The country will have to have capabilities to conduct military operations on their own before they can be eft to their own devices.

Although the International Conference on Afghanistan is an interesting and important venue for the former First Lady, her daughter Chelsea's wedding is likely also on the forefront of her mind.

Reference: CS Monitor

400 Arrested at G20 Summit 2010 Protests

The G20 Summit 2010 in Toronto, Canada turned violent, and 400 arrests have been made.  The summit is where world leaders from 20 countries met.  The agenda at the 2010 summit included discussing economic and fiscal policies throughout the world.

Four police cars were torched, and the storefront windows across Toronto were shattered with baseball bats as violence erupted during protests at the G20 summit Saturday night and into the early hours of the morning.

The violence is disappointing, at best.  After all, you would think that peaceful protesting would be possible during this meeting.  The violence undoubtedly made for a very dangerous situation for world leaders, and if one of them had been hurt in the protests there could have been serious repercussions.

The people of Toronto are embarrassed, as this is not indicative of how citizens of the city act. Toronto is a world class city,and is known as one of the cleanest in the world.

The main focus of authorities around the protests were keeping citizens of Toronto, delegates, and media affiliates safe and sound.

The G20 summit discussed mainly financial policies.  The world economic situation has worsened over the past couple of years, extending from America to the Eurozone and beyond.

Advanced economies have vowed to halve deficits by 2013, and stabilize Debt to GDP ratios by 2016.  The world has its work cut out for them.

Just one question...how do they plan to go about doing that, given the current unemployment rates and basic economic conditions?  Will taxes be raised? Will the burden fall unduly on America to fix the world's problems?

G20 Summit 2010 Brings Protests

The 2010 G20 Summit in Toronto is bringing a lot of protests. Does it really surprise you? After all, you have representatives from the 20 most powerful countries in the world all in one place. This makes it convenient for anyone with a political agenda to come to a single place and voice their opinions to...the world.

Face it - things aren't all that great. The world economy has had it's ups and downs ranging from the recession in the US to eurozone fears that started with the default of Greek debt. There are wars raging on in the Middle East, and there are fears that Iran and North Korea are up to no good.

Iran faces more sanctions, yet claims that their uranium enrichment process is for peaceful purposes only. The North and South Koreans are experiencing increased political tensions. Israel and Palestine are STILL at odds, and STILL fighting.

Given all this information, there are likely to be several protests at the G20 summit.

The rioters in Toronto aren't by any means peaceful protesters. Storefront windows have been smashed in, and chaos has been littering the streets of the city.

Canadian officials are speaking out, telling the world that Toronto is a world-class city and that the violent riots are in no way indicative of how things go in the city.

Citizens of Toronto are shocked.

Having visited Toronto on several occasions, the images on the news are shocking. Toronto is one of the cleanest large cities I have ever seen. The people are very nice and welcoming, considering the size of the city.

The topic of the G20 summit is the world economy, and there's hopes by many that leaders will be able to come up with ways to fix the world economy.

Ray's Hell Burger Becomes Destination of Obama's Lunch with Medvedev

Ray's Hell Burger seems an unlikely spot for Obama's lunch with Medvedev.  However, Ray's Hell Burger -one of the hottest spots in Arlington, Virginia became the destination for leaders of two of the world's superpowers.  President Barack Obama treated the Russian President to a meal at what has become one of Arlington's hottest eateries.

Ray's Hell Burger is located at  1713 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-841-0001. Open for weekend lunch, dinner daily.

Not too long ago, Obama and Biden stole away to the location for a similar lunch venture, prompting much popularity.  Many want to know what makes this burger joint a presidential favorite.

According to the Washington Post, Obama had a traditional all-American cheeseburger, while Dmitry Medvedev added onions, jalepenos, and mushrooms. Perhaps Ray's Hell Burger will dub the meals the "presidential burger" and the "Russian Supreme"? Just a thought...

The choice in restaurants for this meal venture showcases how easy-going the President is.  He doesn't try to be fancy.  When a world leader visits, he's happy taking them to somewhere all-American where they can (almost) rub elbows with the common American.

Ray's was undoubtedly very busy as the pair's visit was likely the cause of a lot of surprise. After all...how often do you see the President of the United States eating at a burger joint?

For those who are wondering if Ray's Hell Burger is affordable for the common American, it is.  The restaurant features many menu items that are under $10 each.

Both Obama and Medvedev are heading to the G-20 and G-8 summits in Toronto, Canada this weekend.