NHK reports Japanese astronomers have discovered what they call “floating planets”.
At least ten floating planets have been discovered using an observatory in New Zealand. The planets have mass equal to the planet Jupiter, yet they exist outside any solar system, and apparently don’t need to orbit a star.
The discovery could back up the ancient […] Continue Reading…
11,000 employees with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, for Palestine, went on strike over unfair working conditions.
Employees say management at UNRWA engage in arbitrary firing and denial of workers’ rights. In some cases workers have been fired because of the political party they belong to.
The strike resulted in the closing of 238 […] Continue Reading…
At least 1,000 health care workers picketed a hospital belonging to one of the biggest insurance companies in the U.S.; Kaiser Permanente’s flagship hospital in Los Angeles, California.
The workers say Kaiser has been cutting back on staffing, forcing those still working to handle longer hours. The insurance company is also cutting back on services. […] Continue Reading…
Around the country, tens of thousands of teachers in the United States have been laid off.
New York City needs to lay off 6,000 teachers, to balance their education budget.
California has notified at least 20,000 teachers that they will be unemployed.
Dozens of teachers were fired in Ohio this week.
Broward County Florida School District will lay […] Continue Reading…
A five year study, done by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, concludes that because of the promiscuous attitude of U.S. society, during the 1960s-80s, the Church let down its guard on sex abusers who became priests.
The report does say that the Church failed to enforce celibacy, and properly monitor the priests. Also, […] Continue Reading…
U.S. Treasury Department announced that President Barak Obama has imposed sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and other Syrian officials.
The sanctions also include two Iranian officials. Also, Obama signed a similar order against at least 10 Syrian officials on April 29.
“As a result of this action, any property in the United States or in […] Continue Reading…
May 17, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was recently asked, by CBS’s 60 Minutes, about the war against Libya. He replied that the United States was not legally/technically at war with Libya (that would take a declaration of War by Congress). Instead Gates says the U.S. is engaged in “limited kinetic action” against Libya.
Gates […] Continue Reading…
Rumors say that President Barak Obama’s speech, on peace between Israel and Palestinians, will be a let down for those seeking statehood.
While Obama is expected to ask Israel to stop new settlements, he’s also expected to ask Palestinians to stop seeking statehood. He will give the speech on Thursday, May 19.
May 18, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, says the United States faces a new Cold War if it continues to push its “missile shield” across eastern Europe.
Medvedev says Russia will have no choice but to increase spending on its military, especially nuclear weapons: “We would then be talking about developing the offensive potential of […] Continue Reading…
Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture has discovered that pasture grass, throughout the prefecture, is contaminated with radioactive cesium.
As much as 1,500 becquerels of cesium has been found. The national safe limit is 300 becquerels. All farmers/ranchers have been warned not to graze their livestock on the grass.