Japan’s aging population will be cared for by robots–not immigrant laborers, according to the plans of the Japanese government. The Abe government is increasing investments in healthcare robots to meet the nation’s needs, and recently announced subsidies that will cover up to two-thirds of the research and design costs for the development of various healthcare robots. One quarter … Read more
Photography by Maxim Dondyuk In this photojournal, Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk documents the tuberculosis epidemic in the hospitals, prisons and homes of the East European nation where multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) affects almost 7,000 people annually, and approximately 30 lives are lost to the disease each day. Ukraine has the highest mortality rate from infectious diseases in the WHO European region–90 … Read more
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir collapsed Tuesday at Khartoum airport. Sudanese intelligence agents seized cameras from Journalists who were covering the event–a visit by Kiir to the capital of Sudan. Kiir was visiting Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, from which nation South Sudan split in 2011. Kiir reportedly fell down soon after his arrival at … Read more
Ugandan war plans detailing wide-ranging actions against South Sudanese rebels, currently fighting South Sudanese government troops, were leaked by the South Sudan News Agency Wednesday. The report disparaged the East African authority EGAD, and included a timeframe for beginning of the attack. “These rebels are a threat to our general security, and they must either … Read more
Heir to the throne of the United Kingdom, Prince Charles, has made a video statement in response to recent persecutions of Christians and other faith members in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, calling it an “indescribable tragedy” that Christian and other communities face persecution in the Middle East and elsewhere, and offering several suggestions … Read more
Religious persecution in the world is worsening, mostly in Muslim countries linked to extremist Islam, but also under authoritarian regimes in Asia, according to a comprehensive report by Aid to the Church in Need, an international charity group based in the UK. “Where there has been a change concerning religious freedom, that change has almost always … Read more
A statement by the spokesman for al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) released Sunday has called for all Muslims to unite against the US, citing the US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and calling it “an attack on the entire Community of Muslims.” The Maghreb and Arabian branches of al Qaeda have also been … Read more
A large group of people formerly convicted of sex offenses are living in a makeshift camp in Florida’s Miami-Dade County. They have been forced to live off the grid because of ordinances that prohibit them from living near a school–a designation that has been expanded by local government to include shelters and other non-educational facilities. This, according to … Read more
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has asked all government and media to use his family name only–not his tribal name. The president will no longer be referred to as “Ahmadzai,”a name the president used to appeal to voters in the Pashtun south and southeast during the presidential campaign earlier this year. Ghani signed a letter last week … Read more
Major charges brought against a man accused of plotting to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin have been dismissed by a Ukrainian court. The man, Adam Osmayev, had been charged as a terrorist for trying kill the Russian president, but is no longer considered to be a participant in a terrorist organization or to have prepared for the assassination … Read more
Photography by Lisa Lozano New Orleans’ biggest gun buyback was held last weekend, and it was a party. Art curator and artist Kirsha Kaechele and others brought together the community–as well as artists, musicians and performers–to create a gun buyback block party event where hundreds of guns were bought back from anonymous community members by … Read more
Although analysts and military advisers are divided on the wisdom of such sudden, heavy reliance on local production for military needs, India is launching a campaign to produce at least half of the nation’s total weapon and equipment needs within the next 10 to 12 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the new approach to … Read more