For the first time, North Korean authorities have publicly acknowledged the existence of labor camps within North Korea. The admission came Tuesday, seemingly in response to critical UN reports published earlier this year. North Korean foreign ministry official Choe Myong Nam, who is in charge of UN affairs and human rights issues, qualified that North … Read more
According to a recent study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pesticide use is positively linked to suicide and depression. The study analyzed data from various pesticide classes and found evidence supported a positive association between pesticide exposure and depression. Several specific pesticides were also positively identified as associated. “Few previous studies have … Read more
A previously vocal but nonviolent neo-Confederate group–the League of the South (LOS), the most prominent Southern separatist group in the US–has begun training a uniformed paramilitary unit for any-means-necessary style action, according to civil rights watch group Hatewatch, which based its revelations on leaked internal documents and sources within the LOS. “We are for the survival, … Read more
The governor of California has signed the first statewide plastic bag ban in the US. Single-use plastic bags will be prohibited at grocery and convenience stores. “This bill is a step in the right direction—it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean itself,” said California Gov. Jerry Brown. “We’re … Read more
Canada’s Department of National Defense is testing unmanned aerial vehicles in the nation’s arctic territories. “Experimental missions like CAFJAE are important in our quest to find new ways to meet the demands required to successfully carry out military operations in Canada’s Arctic,” said Dr Marc Fortin, the assistant deputy minister for science and technology at … Read more
A former FIFA lead investigator, Terry Steans, who spent two years investigating FIFA for match fixing, has warned that football is “incredibly vulnerable” to the practice. The Football Association confirmed for the first time last weekend that it had a list of known and suspected match-fixers. “Football is incredibly vulnerable,” said Terry Steans, who worked … Read more
Sweden now recycles 99 percent of its household garbage. Sweden reuses a large share of its waste–and that of other nations–but it also recycles a lot by burning it for energy. Sweden burns millions of tons of garbage per year in energy-generating plants–a process that has not been without controversy. The average Swede currently produces … Read more
After receiving new reports on the humanitarian crisis in Somalia, the UN has warned that over 1 million Somalis currently face starvation. Conditions in Somalia are worsening due to delayed and erratic rains, as well as to trade disruptions that have resulted from military actions against insurgents. An estimated 1,025,000 people–particularly children–will be “in crisis … Read more
The state of Pennsylvania has made its first admission that oil and gas drilling operations in the state have been contaminating private drinking wells for years. The state made public 243 cases of contamination in 22 counties which had remained unreported since 2008–the first year of the Marcellus shale play boom. “This is something that should … Read more
Over the weekend, the Italian Navy picked up nearly 4,000 migrants trying to reach Italian shores from North Africa. The Italian Navy uses helicopters, patrol boats and frigates in its Mare Nostrum operation, which was launched last October after 360 migrants drowned off the coasts of Sicily, and is reported to cost $12.5 million per … Read more
Works created by nature, animals or plants cannot be claimed by humans, according to the new US Copyright Office rules compendium. Humans cannot claim rights to works such as monkey selfies, murals painted by elephants, driftwood formed by the ocean, or stones shaped by their environment. The ruling came about as a result of a … Read more
The world’s most advanced commercial high-resolution satellite is now operational. DigitalView’s WorldView-3–the company’s sixth super-spectral, hi-res satellite–was launched this week, and offers photo resolution at five times the clarity of its nearest competitor. The satellite also provides infrared and CAVIS, and can photograph through smoke, fog and haze and correct for cloud, aerosol, water vapor, … Read more