Price hikes and fuel hording are symptoms of what is being rumored to be a China-caused fuel shortage. Signs have popped up around Pyongyang that restrictions on sales would be in place until further notice. North Korea gets most of its fuel from its neighbor, China, which has joined the U.S. in a much stronger … Read more
The Faroe Islands are experiencing a woman shortage. The Island’s population is 50,000, and they have a “gender deficit” of 2,000 more men than women. Increasingly, Faroese men are bringing women in from Asia, and there are currently 300 women from Thailand and the Phillipines, and Asians now make up the largest ethnic minority. The … Read more
Indonesian female clerics issued a fatwa (nothing legal but a matter of religion) after holding a 3-day meeting. They also want the government there to make marriage illegal for women under 18. Currently, 16 is the marriage age. According to the UN, 1/4 of Indonesian women marry before they are 18. The fatwa is unusual … Read more
Protest over President Michel Temer’s austerity measures are crippling public transport in several major cities, and many factories, businesses and schools are closed, including in major tourist areas. Police have barricaded protesters from entering airports (some flights were delayed and cancelled earlier) and are trying to clear up roadways. Brazil has not had a nationwide … Read more
Citizens are protesting the government after a March 20 attempt by the country’s highest court to dissolve the national assembly, which would in turn weaken President Maduro’s opponents. Read more
The Australian Federal Police announced this week that they illegally obtained a journalist’s phone records under the Turnbull government’s new metadata retention plan. The breach was accidental, according to the police, and happened as part of an investigation into a leak of police material. The journalist was not notified about their data being accessed, due … Read more
A formal judgement has approved the administrative measure, indicating that a permanent restriction is now in place for all language editions of the online encyclopedia in Turkey. Some are pointing towards Wikipedia’s depiction of Erdogan as a dictator as a cause: “Erdoğan detractors have noted that under Erdoğan, more journalists have been incarcerated in Turkey … Read more
For the first time in Japan, the country responded to a North Korean test by shutting down the rails for 10 minutes, effecting 13,000 passengers. Read more
The association of Japanese toilet makers announced the symbols they will collectively use as a standardized language for toilet / bidet functions. The Japan Sanitary Equipment Industry Association made the announcement Tuesday, presenting eight signs and their functions. The move will simplify Japanese life to a degree, since the many companies that produce toilets / bidets since they … Read more
For the occasion of a visit by Sheikh Faisal Bin Khaled, Emir of Asir province, January 11, in Majardh city, municipal workers apply a cosmetic veneer to parks. They were observed by several townspeople equipped with mobile phones. On January 12, a day after the prince ‘s visit , officials in the city issued a … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has called the “War on Terror” the “new battle government should prepare for.” “There will be wars. We have to prepare for Terrorism. Whether you like it or not, the new war coming is ‘Terrorism,’” said Duterte at a press conference this week. Terrorist groups are expanding from traditional battlegrounds to … Read more
The United States, at Saturday’s UN meeting, abstained from voting in support of Israel, which most observers consider a break from America’s traditional support of Israel at the UN table. A vote from America would have vetoed the bill. The bill condemned Israel for its settlements and construction projects in Palestinian territory, stating that Israel … Read more