Syracuse Police Chief Gary Miguel, who worked at every level of the force in a 36-year career, will retire at the end of this year. According to Syracuse.com, Miguel announced his retirement plan yesterday. Miguel was appointed chief on March 28, 2005, a day after police Chief Steve Thompson was charged with driving while intoxicated. Miguel is most noted for his handling of raid on a Syracuse drug house 21 years ago, when he used a Centro bus to arrest dealers on the scene. Miguel will leave force in December, when Matthew Driscoll's term as mayor ends. Mayor-elect Stephanie Miner is currently out of town but she will select her own administration, including a police chief.

My Take: Retirement of Police Chief Gary Miguel at the end of this year is significant because it symbolizes a complete change in the Syracuse city government. It marks the end of Matt Driscoll's time as the city mayor and the beginning of Miner's administration. Miner will be selecting her own administration, including a police chief. Therefore, it'll be interesting to see who she hires for certain positions and how well they will handle the job.

Obama visits South Korea

President Obama arrived in South Korea, his last stop on his Asia trip, on Wednesday evening local time. According to CNN, he will meet with President Lee Myung-Bak on Thursday to discuss North Korea's nuclear program. North Korea's resistent against negotiations with its neighboring countries has been a growing concern for the international community as a whole. To bring North Korea back to the six-party talks, Obama and Lee plan a possible trip to Pyongyang by a U.S. envoy to jump-start the talks, which include both Koreas, the United States, Russia, China and Japan. Obama had visited Singapore, Japan and China.

My Take: This month's trip was Obama's first trip to Asia since he took office in the White House. The outcome of the trip will reflect Obama's handling of the U.S. relationship with Asia, especially after the economic crisis. It challenges Obama's role as the United States president, who is responsible to revive the U.S. reputation as the world leader.

Rare Crocs Hide in Plain Sight in Cambodia

According to CBS news, what conservationists have called the "endangered crocodile species" are lounging in Cambodia. DNA taken from 69 crocodiles housed in the moats of the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center showed nearly 50 percent were Siamese crocodiles, which until recently were believed to have become extinct in the wild. Once common throughout Southeast Asia, the Siamese crocodile is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss and poaching. Those left in the wild, mostly in Cambodia and the rest in Indonesia and Vietnam, face the new threat of hydropower dams being built in two of their three known habitats in the country. Adam Starr, the manager of the Cambodian Crocodile Conservation Program, said the discovery would give conservationists new options for safely releasing the crocodiles into the wild.

My Take: The discovery of such endangered species reminds us that human activities do come at a price paid by other organisms. While building infrastructures such as dams is important to sustain people's life, it is also important to remember to protect the wild life, which keeps our world beautiful.