The largest non-polar desert, the Sahara, which continues to expand south under the influence of global warming, will be halted by a 20-nation project to build the world’s largest horticultural feature, the Great Green Wall of Africa. The project will be supported by the World Bank, the African Union, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization … Read more
A French lawyer filed a complaint Friday against Israel for what the lawyer said were “war crimes committed by the Israeli army in June and July 2014 in Palestine,” referring primarily to Israel’s Protective Edge military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which began July 8. Over 1000 people have already been killed and over 6,000 injured in … Read more
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, stated Saturday that pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine were obliged to abide by international law and protect civilians. If separatists break international law, Pillay said, the international community can bring them to justice. “These groups are obliged to respect international law, and they need to protect civilians. If they do … Read more
Sixteen-year-old Nick Rubin has created a free app intended to show the main sources of US politicians’ funding. The app was designed to allow users to scroll over the names of all members of Congress on any webpage to see a list of the top ten industries from which each receives money. Rubin’s stated goal … Read more
Tel-Aviv University researchers have found that agreeing with people on controversial issues causes them to reconsider their opinions, becoming more accepting of differing points of view. The study, “Paradoxical thinking as a new avenue of intervention to promote peace,” was completed by Boaz Hameiria, Roni Poratc, Daniel Bar-Tald, Atara Bielerb, and Eran Halperinb, and was … Read more
A recent study by Pennsylvania State and the University of Texas has looked at the varying levels of generosity exhibited by people around the world, and has found that, although some countries are much more generous than others, the issue is more complex than some might think. The report, “Accepting Inequality Deters Responsibility: How Power … Read more
A new joint collaboration between Tel Aviv University, Columbia University’s Medical Center, and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has demonstrated that life events can effect the genetic heritage of an organism’s immediate descendants. The Columbia team was able to show that transgenerational memory is passed on through an organism’s short RNAs for at least three generations. “It … Read more
Posing as hundreds of models, celebrities, and professionally-photographed schoolgirls, and displaying profile descriptions taken from journalists, choreographers and other professionals, China has been caught using Twitter for a mass propaganda campaign aimed at spreading the Chinese government’s messages about Tibet, while Tibetans are denied free speech rights by the Chinese government. The propaganda campaign was … Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in opposition to a proposed giant mine project in Alaska’s Bristol Bay, has initiated a set of regulations that industrial advocates such as US Senator Lisa Murkowski have termed a “Blueprint That Will Be Used Across the Country to Stop Economic Development.” “The EPA is being disingenuous in saying that … Read more
Two reports of the downing of a plane suspected to be Malaysian Air MH17 have been published by Russian news network LifeNews. The two television reports were aired before and after the identity of the Malaysian passenger plane was known, and reported conflicting testimonies by pro-Russian separatists active in Donetsk about responsibility for a plane crash … Read more
While the current global market for drones is expected to double to 11.6bn by 2023, America will most likely lose its current industry lead to other nations less hampered by export control regulations and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, according to a recent report by Stimson Center. “At the moment, the United States has the … Read more
According to a document made public by the UN recently, China was issued a “joint urgent appeal” earlier this year. China has responded to the appeal, confirming that at least six of the 10 Tibetan musicians were jailed on charges of separatism for singing songs supporting Tibetan culture and about the plight of Tibet under Chinese rule. … Read more