For standing up to the government and nickel miners expanding into the land of his 270-member farming and fishing village, Rodrigo Tot, 60, won the largest award going for grassroots environmental activists. “An indigenous leader in Guatemala’s Agua Caliente, Rodrigo Tot led his community to a landmark court decision that ordered the government to issue … Read more
Nuclear shelters and radiation-blocking and chemical gas air filters have seen higher sales in recent weeks as North Korea continues its nuclear program, including nuclear and missile tests, and America and China take a tougher stance on the nation’s military activities. Some stores have sold out. Three North Korean missiles landed in Japan’s waters, 300-350 … Read more
No married men is one of the goals of the Ghana Armed Forces. The organisation this month published a list of requirements for new recruits. Other requirements: Must be between age 18 and 25 for non-tradesmen and 18-27 for tradesmen; not bounded; and have at least 6 credits at BECE* including Math and English plus … Read more
India, where 600,000 people die of water related illness each year (world total is 1.7 million), and where 1/4 of girls don’t attend school because there is no proper toilet facilities, headway is being made in improved sanitation and risk education, according to Bill Gates, who blogged about the improvement this month. The problem costs … Read more
Taiwanese hiker Liang Sheng-yue was found conscious and with the remains of his girlfriend, Liu Chen-chun, and was airlifted out of a ravine near the Narchet River in the Himalayas, according to rescuer Madhav Basnet. The couple was hiking the remote Ganesh Himal route in Dhading district, west of the Nepali capital Kathmandu. Shengu-yue’s girlfriend … Read more
According to the UN statement, the special rapporteur on disabled people’s rights will be the first ever visit to the country by an independent expert designated by the UN Human Rights Council. The rights council has accused North Korea of committing crimes against humanity and detaining up to 120,000 people in brutal prison camps. Read more
As part of the U.S. government’s response to alleged use of chemical weapons by Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, it is placing sanctions on 271 individuals linked to the Syrian agency that produces that country’s chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. The sanctions include travel blacklisting and financial restrictions. Assad has said that the accusation he used … Read more
A significant force of U.S. Navy craft is making their way towards the Korean Peninsula and is set to arrive in days. The force held routine exercises with Japanese craft in the Philippine Sea this week. Read more
Much talk about the most recent Islamist attack in Paris and how that might swing the vote towards the Right and anti-immigration Marine Le Pen. In the attack, a gunman opened fire on police and killed one before being killed by police fire. Read more
ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombing, but they claim lots of attacks. Gunmen, some reportedly dressed as women, but also wearing suicide vests, attacked the Tehran parliament building with guns. A standoff with police lasted hours. 6 attackers were killed, 5 arrested. If ISIS was indeed responsible, it would be the first time their Sunni … Read more