U.S. government releases nine Guantanamo Bay inmates.
26 men are expected to be sent away by the end of this summer. (Image courtesy of Handout/Reuters.)
The U.S. government has announced its decision to send nine low-risk prisoners at Guantanamo Bay back to Saudi Arabia. In the announcement, the Pentagon expressed its gratitude for the cooperation of the Saudi Arabian government to close the detention facility. The prisoners are unable to be sent to the U.S. because of orders from Congress over concerns for national security. The nine prisoners that were released were Yemeni and were not sent back to their home country because of political instability and in fear of their safety. Omar Farah, an attorney of one of the recently released prisoners, believes that the release of his charge will end “ one of the most appalling chapters in Guantanamo’s sordid history.” After this, there remains eighty prisoners in Guantanamo, with twenty-six already having been cleared and awaiting deportation.
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New Zealand stages first Pastafarian wedding on pirate boat.
Karen Martyn presided over the wedding. (Image courtesy of Getty Images)
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has had its first legally recognized wedding in the New Zealand town of Akaroa. Toby Ricketts and Marianna Fenn tied the knot on April 16th as pirates because the Pastafarian religion says that the wedding celebrants must be pirates. Members of the church believe that the world was created by an airborne spaghetti and meatballs-based being and humans evolved from pirates. More weddings are planned, including same-sex marriages that were legalised in New Zealand in 2013.
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Experts say that the future of the coal industry is bleak. (Image courtesy of AP Photo.)
Peabody Energy, the largest coal producer, files for bankruptcy protection.
Following a sharp drop in commodity prices, Peabody Energy, the world’s largest privately owned coal producer, filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. The price of certain types of coal have collapsed by 75% since their high in 2011. The energy giant’s bankruptcy marks “one of the largest corporate failures in the commodity sector,” as described by the Guardian. Finance analysts put the blame partly on Peabody Energy’s $5 billion expansion into Australia and partly on tightening environmental laws. Richard Black, director of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, has commented that in many countries, governments are focused on phasing out coal energy in favour of cleaner forms, like natural gas. The sudden downturn of demand from the Chinese market, which had been very strong 18 month ago, has caused other coal and energy companies to declare bankruptcy.
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First African-American grandmaster enters U.S. Chess Hall of Fame
Maurice Ashley talking about chess. (Image courtesy of AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Maurice Ashley was 14 when he played his first match of chess against a friend. He lost, but it was the beginning of his love for chess. Now, 36 years later, 50-year-old Ashley has become the first African American to be designated as a chess grandmaster, and last Wednesday, the first African American to be inducted into the U.S Chess Hall of Fame in St.Louis.
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Two strong earthquakes hit Japan and leave 41 people dead.
20 000 Japanese troops, along with some police and firefighters are working to find and rescue survivors. (Image courtesy of Kyodo/Reuters.)
Two devastating earthquakes hit within 28 hours of each other in Kumamoto, Japan, resulting in the death of 41 people and the displacement of 91 000 more. The first earthquake was 6.5 in magnitude and the second was 7.3 in magnitude. Landslides and quakes have destroyed infrastructure, like bridges, and have prevented the speedy response of rescue workers. The night of the first earthquake saw heavy rain and mudslides, which further complicated the relief efforts. The disaster has left nearly 200 000 homes without electricity and nearly 400 000 without running water in southwestern Japan. The majority of those who passed away from the Saturday morning earthquake were from Kumamoto, the hardest hit city. Mount Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano, resides in the Kumamoto prefecture and had erupted on Saturday. However, there is no clear link between the eruption and the earthquakes.
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