This giant sculpture has been installed as a message to the G7 leaders meeting for a summit in Cornwall, England. It’s made entirely of electronic waste and is designed to draw attention to the environmental problems caused by the 53 million tonnes of phones, tablets, computers and other electronic devices discarded every year. The sculpture, … Continue reading “Mount Recyclemore”
The Five Eyes Alliance is a very discreet intelligence-gathering agreement between five major Anglophone countries: the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It was created during the Cold War with the former Soviet Union. But it is currently in turmoil over the five nations’ relations with China. The Alliance has existed in its … Continue reading “Five Eyes”
New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland has become the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior, which manages federal lands and natural resources, and includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Since 1824, the BIA has been in charge of federal services to the 574 federally recognised Native tribes and 1.9 million American Indians … Continue reading “The First Native American U.S. Interior Secretary”
1921 has been described as a year of anniversaries in Northern Ireland, marking 100 years since the partition of Ireland which led to the creation of Northern Ireland. But nobody seems sure which dates to mark or celebrate, or indeed if they should be marked at all. A century after the border was created, and in … Continue reading “100 Years Ago: Northern Ireland Came into Existence”
After elections to the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish National Party has emerged the leading party for the fourth consecutive election, achieving just one seat short of a majority in an electoral system specifically designed not to produce overall majorities. The party of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had campaigned on the promise of a new independence … Continue reading “Scottish Independence Back on the Agenda”
The jury in the trial over the death of George Floyd has found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Floyd’s family and supporters expressed relief. The court found that it was Chauvin’s actions – kneeling on Floyd for more than nine minutes during … Continue reading “Police Officer Convicted of Murdering George Floyd”
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, died on 9 April, after more than 70 years of marriage to Queen Elizabeth II. The longest serving consort of a British monarch was just a few months short of his 100th birthday. Philip Mountbatten was, like the Queen, a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria and another famous royal consort, Prince … Continue reading “A Prince Passes”
The death of George Floyd during an arrest in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020 sparked last summer’s wave of Black Lives Matter protests. The trial of the police officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck opened on 29 March in Minnesota. Police were called after George Floyd bought a packet of cigarettes in a convenience story. … Continue reading “Seeking Justice for George Floyd”
The World Trade Organisation has a new Director-General: Dr Nkozi Okonjo-Iweala. It’s the first time a woman, or an African, has led the international commerce body. Could a new perspective take the WTO in a different direction? A Harvard and MIT-trained economist, Dr Okonjo-Iweala has spent much of her career at the World Bank, with … Continue reading “Leading World Trade”
A middle-school student from Florida used a science-fair project to convince the Miami-Dade School District to begin converting its fleet of school buses over to electric. Eighth-grader Holly Thorpe measured CO2 levels inside the diesel school buses and her alarming results convinced the district to make the switch. The yellow school bus is a classic … Continue reading “Teen Convinces Florida District to Switch to Electric School Buses”