Dong-Hyuk Shin, the only North Korean prison camp escapee, revealed that the inaccurate details in his autobiography “Escape from Camp 14” were neither lies nor confusion about his memories following his traumatic experiences. He just wanted to keep some painful experiences to himself. “First of all, let me tell about the controversial issues surrounding my book, as some […]
North Korean camp survivor Dong-Hyuk Shin tells true feelings about his book and campaign
Secret exchanges and informal interactions: new report shines light on lobbying in the EU
What is the state of lobbying in Europe? How transparent is it? Is there a clear and enforceable code of conduct for lobbying activities? How diverse are the voices affecting decision making? In their latest report Lobbying Europe: Hidden Influence, Privileged Access Transparency International (TI) answers these very questions. The study looks at the practice […]
The second-most spoken languages around the world
You can probably guess the most spoken language in any given country around the world; after all, it’s usually the official language of the country. But have you ever given thought to the second-most spoken language in a country? Olivet Nazarene University has put together an interactive map that covers the second most spoken languages […]
Corso Krymská Street Festival – Photo document by Michaela Škvrňáková
Corso Krymská is known as one of the best street festival in Prague. The third annual took place this weekend in Prague Vršovice. The centerpiece was the world-famous Krymská street, which has been compared to such sites as Montmartre in Paris, Kreuzberg in Berlin and Camden Town in London. Saturday’s festival was attended by 36 enterprises. […]
Antimatter created by thunderstorms — NHU physicists — mystery continues
Large amounts of antimatter have been detected in the midst of thunderclouds, according to University of New Hampshire physicists who have been working on the problem for several years. The original observation of positron signatures — six years ago when Dr. Joseph Dwyer accidentally flew through several thunderclouds in a research plane – caused the […]
Material advantage: new metal matrix may cause marine engineers to switch
Metal sea wreckage might be made to float The development of a new metal matrix composite foam may tip the balance back towards metal materials in the construction of marine vehicles — in addition to offering heat resistance well beyond that of the fiberglasses common in the industry today. According to NYU engineers, the first […]
Bloody spring in Macedonia
BELGRADE, Serbia — Early Saturday morning the Macedonian town of Kumanovo was awakened by a major shootout and grenade explosions. According to local media reports, police officers were attacked by an armed group, estimated to be 70 fighters strong. TV NOVA morning news reported that one whole part of the town was blocked by strong police forces, and many more of Macedonian […]
The story behind the image: Homeless in Paris
Photo document by Paris photographer Andrea Peter Fly The French Charity “Les Morts Dans La Rue” (the Dead in the Streets) recently announced that during 2013, 454 homeless individuals died in France. Contrary to common belief, as many of those deaths occurred in the summer as in the winter. Between 2001 and 2012 the number […]
Coastal dune life depends on restoration of disturbance — WU Research
Disturbance is a condition depended on by the species indigenous to coastal dunes, according to Washington University researchers who just completed a study putting numbers to claims that the restoration of such conditions is necessary for the variety and vibrancy of the West Coast’s dune life. “Disturbance is actually a good thing in many ecosystems […]
Sentencing of Christians in China increases 10,000% in less than a decade, rights group reports
In China, Christian citizens sentenced for their faith increased 10,517 percent between 2007 and 2014, according to rights watch group China Aid, which also speculated that the trend towards greater persecution could continue for some time. “All aspects of Chinese society will continue to be subjected to increased suppression, including the denial of religious freedom […]
Offering too much weakens relationships in the microbe world
Some microbe species produce nutrients that are consumed by neighboring species, which in turn share nutrients that they produce, but a mystery of this relationship has puzzled scientists: Why do some of the shared molecules have chemical units that seemingly have the sole function of slowing the diffusion of nutrients to neighboring microbes? A team of […]
South Koreans mark one year anniversary of ferry tragedy
SEOUL, South Korea — South Koreans paid tribute to the victims of the Sewol ferry disaster today in central Seoul, one year after the ferry sank, causing the deaths of 304 people April 16, 2014. The Sewol ferry was heading to Jeju Island from Incheon International Port Passenger Terminal, carrying 476 passengers. Of those, 325 were high […]