Japan volcano death toll hits 47 as new bodies found
Tokyo (AFP) Oct 01, 2014 -
The death toll from a sudden volcanic eruption in Japan hit 47 on Wednesday as rescuers discovered 11 new bodies in so-far unexplored areas of the ash-covered peak.
The figure makes the eruption of Mount Ontake, which was packed with hikers when it burst angrily to life on Saturday lunchtime, the worst volcanic disaster in Japan for almost 90 years.
Up until Sunday 36 bodies had been fou ...
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No sign of health or nutrition problems from GMO livestock feed
Davis CA (SPX) Oct 02, 2014 -
A new scientific review from the University of California, Davis, reports that the performance and health of food-producing animals consuming genetically engineered feed, first introduced 18 years ago, has been comparable to that of animals consuming non-GE feed.
The review study also found that scientific studies have detected no differences in the nutritional makeup of the meat, milk or ...
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China detains activists for supporting Hong Kong protests: rights groups
Beijing (AFP) Oct 01, 2014 -
Authorities have detained more than a dozen activists across China and questioned as many as 60 others who expressed support for Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests in recent days, campaign groups said Wednesday.
The clampdown comes with Beijing's propaganda machine in overdrive to suppress news of the protests, which are expected to draw their biggest crowds yet as the former British colony ...
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To avoid Iraq-style chaos US must back Afghans: experts
Washington (AFP) Oct 01, 2014 -
Washington will have to stand by Afghanistan for years, training and funding its army until Kabul can sign a peace deal with the Taliban, or it will follow Iraq in sliding into chaos, experts warn.
"Iraq shows the big security and political price you can pay down the road for over-reliance on a local ally to maintain security without a US presence," warned Stephen Biddle, senior fellow at th ...
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Hong Kong protest leader threatens to step up mass action
Hong Kong (AFP) Oct 01, 2014 -
A student leader threatened Wednesday to step up Hong Kong's huge pro-democracy protests - including a possible occupation of government offices - unless the city's leader steps down within a day, as support for the movement grew around the world.
The announcement came as tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets for a fourth straight night in protest against Beijing's refusal to ...
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Hong Kong protests 'inspiring China's Uighurs'
Washington (AFP) Oct 01, 2014 -
The exiled leader of China's Uighur minority believes the large-scale protests roiling Hong Kong are inspiring people in her home region of Xinjiang, in comments likely to rile Beijing.
Rebiya Kadeer told Foreign Policy that how the Hong Kong protests play out could have far-reaching implications for the Uighur people in far-western China.
The Hong Kong protests were "very inspiring" to ...
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Korean NGOs call for social consensus on unification issue
Seoul (UPI) Oct 1, 2014 -
Rumors that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had been overthrown in a military coup circulated among participants at a conference here on Korean Unification Tuesday. The story came from blogging sites in China. It illustrated a key conference message that change could come at any moment on the Korean peninsula so people should prepare now for unification.
The Global Peace Leadership Conf ...
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