Greenpeace launched a campaign to create the world’s largest wildlife reservation in Antarctica.

Environmental organization, Greenpeace, wants to create the largest wildlife reserve in the history of conservation. The potential wildlife reserve is said to cover 1.8 million sq km of the Antarctic seas, designed to protect the marine ecosystem from all forms of fishing.

“The Antarctic is home to an abundance of wildlife,” wrote the head of oceans for Greenpeace, on the organization’s blog. “And it’s not just important to animals- the health of our oceans sustains our planet, and provides billions of people with their livelihoods.”

According to Mr. McCallum, there needs to be an increased effort to protect the oceans and the animals living in them. By establishing a network of sanctuaries, Greenpeace hopes to tackle issues of overfishing, plastic pollution, and climate change.

The European Union first proposed the Protect the Antarctic campaign, which entails the creation of the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world. It would essentially ban all fishing in the Weddell Sea and around the Antarctic Peninsula. This region is largely known for its large biodiversity, however, its reputation is outweighed by industrial krill fishing which has killed off large quantities of small crustaceans. These crustaceans serve as food for a number of larger animals in the area, including whales, seals, and penguins. Countries that dabble in the krill fishing industry include Norway, Russia, South Korea, and China.

McCallum said that the next few years are essential for the future of our oceans and urges the world’s governments to better preserve these ecosystems.

In addition to preserving the dwindling numbers of these marine animals, Greenpeace aims to curb climate crisis by allowing the seas to absorb carbon monoxide from the atmosphere.

The petition for the wildlife reserve is currently backed by more than 100 thousand people from around the world, with Greenpeace urging the UK to offer its support for the campaign.

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The management of a nursery in Beijing, China, is accused of secretly injecting toddlers with unknown chemicals and giving them unidentified pills.

Local authorities have launched an investigation into the issue. The childcare center is part of the RYB Education chain. The firm issued apologies for the incident, but that won’t stop authorities from checking all nurseries in the city.

The news comes just weeks after a nursery in Shanghai was accused of abusing children. The Beijing nursery, is located in an upscale district, is accused of performing shots on toddlers with unknown substances.

Several parents confirmed they found needle marks on their kids. Some of the toddlers were given either a mystery syrup or unidentified pills before having the afternoon nap.

One concerned father told the local TV that his kid told him he had been given a couple of white pills after lunch every day. Other parents are concerned their children could have been sexually abused as some of them were asked to remain naked.

Beijing Nursery Under Scrutiny

On Thursday, parents were protesting outside the facility. Some are concerned the injections were used to coerce the kids. Children who failed to follow orders were reportedly locked in a dark room, naked.

Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the nursery. At least three caretakers were suspended.

According to a statement from the RYB Education, the chain is cooperating with local police on the matter.

We deeply apologize for this matter which has brought severe disquiet to parents and society!,

the company, which is one of the country’s most prominent childhood education providers, said.

The latest case adds to the growing concern about human rights abuses in China’s childcare centers.

In 2016, four workers from another RYB nursery were convicted for child abuse. One toddler had around 50 needle marks on his body.
Image Source: Wikimedia

President Trump issued warnings to North Korea at the South Korea National Assembly

North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, was in Trump’s headlights this Wednesday as the president issued a warning not to underestimate the U.S. Pyongyang’s nuclear escalation prompted Trump to also criticize other Asian countries for not dealing with the threat sooner.

The speech was held at South Korea’s National Assembly where the president declared a need for action from all countries involved.

„The regime has interpreted America’s past restraint as weakness” Trump stated „Today I hope I speak not only for our countries but for all civilized nations… Do not underestimate us”

Trump shuns Kim Il-sung’s North Korea vision

He also warned North Korea that amassing weapons will only bring more attention to them and not make them safer. The president even went so far as to compare the country to an undeserving „hell” taking shots at Kim Jong Un’s grandfather Kim Il-sung.

Donald Trump was also supposed to visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which stands between North and South Korea. Due to heavy fog, however, the president’s helicopter was forced to turn back after twenty minutes of flight.

White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, relayed to the press Trump’s frustration for not being able to make it to the DMZ. She emphasized the importance of the „historic” event had Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the DMZ. Sanders also pointed out his visit attempt to be a sign of goodwill in maintaining the U.S and South Korea alliance.

In the same address, President Trump applauded South Korea’s prosperity compared to the North. He also spoke about the U.S’s resolve to fight if they are threatened. To add further weight to his statement, Trump said that American aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines have been stationed near the Korean Peninsula.

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Drones are now saving lives by delivering vital medication.

The use of drones has often been controversial in parts of the U.S. and Europe, but an American startup, Zipline, has found an impressive use of unmanned aircraft in parts of Rwanda and Tanzania. Delivering supplies of blood and medications to various parts of rural regions of Rwanda and Tanzania is an impressive part of the work of Zipline which hopes to develop a system designed to make it easier for physicians across Africa to access supplies of blood for their patients.

Expansion is the goal for Zipline

Zipline has been providing its supplies of blood delivered by drone across Rwanda since October 2016 when the Californian company first arrived in the African nation; delivering blood from a central distribution center to hospitals across the nation has become a regular occurrence for Zipline as the brand has made a major impact on the chances of survival for many in Rwanda. The next nation hoping to be impacted by Zipline is Tanzania, where the government is hoping the company can have a major impact by completing around 2,000 daily deliveries is blood from its four storage facilities.

@Zipline & Tanzania announce ?s largest drone delivery ntwrk: 120 drones, 2k daily medical deliveries to 1k+ clinics https://t.co/r1TyKFJD7i pic.twitter.com/gMZywSQjJE

— Zipline (@zipline) August 24, 2017

Making a move into Tanzania is a major step up in the services offered by Zipline as the items being delivered will be added to and include HIV medications and IV tubes. After almost a year in operation, Zipline has made around 1,600 deliveries in Rwanda and concentrated on supplies for medical emergencies.

The Zipline brand is looking to extend its range of operations across Africa in delivering medical supplies across a number of African nations. Making the move into the U.S. medical market for the Californian company is proving more difficult as Federal authorities are closely controlling the use of drones for deliveries; Zipline hopes to begin U.S. deliveries to Native-American reservations and rural areas of the country.

Image Source: Flickr

Vatican is one of top destinations in the world where visitors come to discover the splendors of the city with their own eyes. However, they will no longer have the chance to witness any of the 100 water spectacles. That’s because Pope Francis decided to switch off their fountain shows as a gesture of solidarity for Italy drought.

Authorities Seek to Instate Water Rationing to Tackle Italy Drought

Vatican announced that all its almost 100 fountains including those historical landmarks in St. Peters Square or those in Vatican gardens would cease their liquid shows. This decision comes at a time when around three million Rome citizens which is half of population are preparing themselves for possible limits on their daily water usage.

This week, several officials including the environment ministry and representatives of utility Acea will meet to discuss the Italy drought. One of the most effective yet intrusive solutions is to cut down water supplies for eight hours a day. Lazio governor, Nicola Zingaretti, proposed last week to declare a ban on drawing water from Lake Bracciano on July 28^th. This source of water located 24 miles from the capital has heavily experienced the effects of the recent heat waves.

Pope Francis Signed the First Papal Document on Environmental Concerns

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke claimed that this is the first time when the spiritual city of Catholics decided to switch off their fountains. However, Vatican considered their moral support more important than a display of beauty.

“This is the Vatican’s way of living solidarity with Rome, trying to help Rome get through this crisis.”

According to an Italian weather channel, Rome received 72% less rain water than it was normally supposed to during this period of the year. This reduction made its presence felt with months in advance starting in March with 56% less rain.

Pope Francis declared that the care of the resources of this planet is one of his most important objectives. His environment document that urges world leaders to take action is the first papal paper that addresses such an earthy issue.

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Tornadoes are a force of nature that tore everything apart on their way with just wind power. Southtowns got to experience double such a fury on Thursday at noon. Nothing in the sky or the air was strange enough to predict such a natural event. Despite calm weather conditions, the two tornadoes burst in and wreaked havoc in about 20 seconds.

The Erie County Fair Is Still on Schedule Despite Damaged Suffered

Locals in the region of Western New York recounted what they experienced while still being amazed at the natural event they had witnessed. They remember how the windows started to cast shadows all of a sudden. Once they looked outside, they were not able to distinguish anything through the white murkiness. Immediately, the houses started to tremble as if there was an earthquake. Therefore, many locals began heading for the basement to stay away from the range of the natural phenomena.

However, before all people managed to evacuate, the weather came back to normal, and everything was calm again. Unfortunately, even though the two tornadoes lasted under a minute, it was enough time to leave some degree of destruction behind them.

At the Hamburg Fairgrounds, one of the whirlwinds devastated the location of the upcoming Erie County Fair. With just 20 days left to mend the damages, organizers are still going ahead with their festival.  The car windows were busted while the picnic tables were scattered around the area.

Governor Cuomo Claimed that Property Owners Might Get Financial Support for the Damages the Two Tornadoes Did

At 7 p.m., Governor Andrew Cuomo visited the fairgrounds to announce the crowd that they would receive help. Around 100 members of the National Guard arrived at the scene to support the relief efforts. The Governor also claimed that they are currently assessing the aftermath. Based on these records, property owners affected by the storm could receive financial aid.

“If it hits a minimum threshold then the state will step in.”

The first tornado appeared at around 12:30 p.m. and followed a path of 5 miles long and 700 feet wide from Hamburg to Orchard Park. The core of the storm measured 105 mph. The second natural phenomenon struck at 12:50 p.m. with a 2 ½ mile long path which was 500 feet wide. The top wind was at 95 mph.

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Kremlin can take it no more. The Russian presidential administration demanded the United States to bring two diplomatic compounds back under their possession. As a consequence, diplomats on behalf of the two parties met on Monday to settle the dispute by themselves. However, Moscow described the preconditions that the American representatives proposed for the deal as “daylight robbery.”

Barack Obama Ordered the Ceisure over the Two Russian Diplomatic Compounds Last Year

Last year, the United States took two diplomatic properties under its own control at the order of former President Barack Obama in December. The command included the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats as well. Obama considered taking such punitive measures in 2016 as Russia got involved in the U.S. presidential election campaign through hacking.

On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon met to override Obama’s orders. The most ardent topic was the restitution of two Russian mansions. One of them is located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore while the other is outside New York City. The negotiations lasted for three hours and took place in Washington.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared such an order as against international law. As a consequence, it was not surprising for the Russian party to find U.S. preconditions as without any legal grounds in such conditions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavror saw no justification for American party demanding something in return for their diplomatic compounds. The estates enjoy the protection of an intergovernmental, bilateral, and ratified document.

The United States Has Some Requests for Russia as Well

Therefore, Mr. Tyabkov left the State Department at 5:45 p.m in great haste. He stated for journalists at location that the situation of the two dachas as Russia calls them was almost resolved. The United States seem to be willing to improve relationship with Russian nation under the new leadership of Donald Trump. However, this particular issue presented a lot of friction for such feeble connection in recent months.

On the other hand, Russia has to comply with several American requests in its turn to make way to a constructive collaboration. The United States wants Putin’s country to stop harassing U.S. diplomats and stop opposing American adoptions of Russian kids.

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A researcher with Chinese and American citizenships received allegations of actions of espionage in Iran. His lawsuit ended with a 10-year conviction to prison. Princeton University has already identified the researcher with dual citizenship as Xiyue Wang. He was detained in Iran ever since last summer while he was working on his Ph.D. dissertation.

The Researcher with Dual Citizenship Allegedly Did Spying Work in Iran for America, Princeton, and Harvard

On Sunday, an Iranian court found the Chinese-American scholar guilty of charge. The ruling stipulated ten years in prison for actions of espionage. The 37-year-old man had studied late 19th and early 2-th century Eurasian history at Princeton University. Last year, he decided to spend his summer in Iran to finish his research for the dissertation. However, Iranian authorities got hold of him and kept him in detention since then.

The allegations in this lawsuit concerned Xiyue Wang’s spying in Iran. The gathered intel would then pass on to Princeton’s Iranian Center, the U.S. State Department, and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi, a Judiciary spokesman, stated that the man was guilty of accepting U.S. guidance. The convict has 20 days at his disposal to appeal the ruling.

The U.S. State Department Is Still Urging Americans to Be Cautious When Visiting Iran

Wang had Princeton, private counsel, the U.S. government, and other parties as well as help yet to no avail. However, they intend to turn to the appellate authorities in Tehran to cancel the ten years of imprisonment. The U.S. State Department called these charges as “fabricated” and urged Iran to release all American citizens held under unjustified pretenses.

Two years ago, Iran and the West signed off a nuclear contract. Since then, the relations between the two nations ameliorated yet mostly for the business side. As a consequence, the U.S. State Department is still counseling Americans of the perils of visiting Iran. Unfortunately, the researcher with dual citizenship is proof that the Iranian position is still on the alert when it comes to the United States.

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A Hawaiian Court took the decision that confronted directly one of President Donald Trump’s bills. The federal judge issued a ruling according to which all grandparents are outside the reach of the newly instated travel ban. This executive order prohibits members of six Muslim-majority nations to enter the territory of the United States.

Hawaiian Judge Views Grandparents as the Epitome of an Ideal Family

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson ruled in favor of extending the federal government’s list of exceptions from the Foreign Entry law. The new entries in this document concern grandparents, uncles, grandchildren, aunts, and other close relatives of U.S. citizens. Another added category includes those refugees who received a formal guarantee from agencies that they would enter America.

Watson’s ruling contained a direct remark at how the government described the community of a close family. His words dismissed this definition which“represents the antithesis of common sense.” The judge was astounded that the government chose to exclude grandparents from the foundation of a family. To his view, the elders are actually the embodiment of the symbol of an ideal family.

“Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members. The Government’s definition excludes them.”

This ruling represents another hit to Trump travel ban. District Judge Watson has been numerous times the target of Trump’s criticism due to his unpopular decisions. However, he did it again by defying government’s view of a traditional family.

Trump Travel Ban Considered only Few Family Members as Exceptions

Last month, the Supreme Court endorsed the travel restrictions, yet with some exceptions. The Court gave clearance to any person that has “a credible claim of a bona fide relationship” with anyone in the United States.

Trump administration honored this ruling by allowing parents, spouses, children, parents-in-law, fiancés, siblings, sons-in-law, and daughters-in-law to those in the country to get past the customs. However, this list of exemptions excluded grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nephews, cousins, nieces, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and grandparents.

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