Dengue Fever Reappears in Japan

Dengue

Japanese health officials in Saitama, a region to the north of the capital city of Tokyo, have reported that a teenaged girl in the area contracted the disease Dengue fever. The young woman is currently in stable condition. This viral infection can cause a variety of symptoms such as skin rashes, cramping, as well as fever and is borne by two species of mosquitoes found in tropical regions. In rare instances this can become fatal, as the virus can cause dangerously low blood pressure. Symptoms … [Read more...]

New Report on Most Liveable Cities in the World

Melbourne

A new report from the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) has published the report of its annual Liveability Survey showing which are the most, and least, liveable cities in the world.  For the fourth year running, Melbourne Australia has come out top and only 20 cities across the world having a changed score in the last twelve months. The report uses 30 different factors across five general categories to make its assessment: stability, healthcare, culture/environment, education and … [Read more...]

Cases of Chikungunya Reported in 3 States

Mosquitoes

State health departments in Texas, Massachusetts and North Carolina confirmed the first human cases of chikungunya in their states during the last three weeks. Chikungunya, pronounced "chicken-goon-ya" is a debilitating, mosquito-borne virus that cause fever and severe joint pain and arthritis-like symptoms. About 25 to 28 travelers bring it to the U.S. each year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Four cases each were reported in Boston and North Carolina and one in … [Read more...]

Glasgow and the Commonwealth Games

Kelingrove Art Museum

If you are a fan of athletics, swimming or the sports associated with the Olympics but missed the main event then perhaps a trip to Glasgow around the time of the Commonwealth Games may be perfect.  The event is taking place between 23rd July and 3rd August 2014 and is the largest multi-sport event ever held in Scotland. The Games The Commonwealth Games has representatives from all the former British colonial countries so while the USA doesn’t attend, big names such as Australia, Canada, … [Read more...]

Gas Prices Make Summer More Expensive

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On the calendar, June 21 2014 was the first day of summer in the United States.   However there are many different unofficial starts to the normal vacation season in the country.    Some classify Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of the season, while others look to July 4th as the beginning of their summer.    Usually, schools end during the month of June, and that marks the beginning of the summer holiday for children, so for many families it is recognized as the start of summer. … [Read more...]

Trial Begins over Ferry Disaster

Korean_Ferry_Sewol_Capsized,_2014

Today the trial of the ferry captain and 14 other crewmembers alleged to be responsible for the sinking of a crowded South Korean ferry began in Gwangju. The captain and crew are accused of abandoning ship and negligence in the sinking of the Sewol ferry that resulted in the deaths of at least 300 people on April 16th of this year. The exact death toll has not been finalized as not all of the bodies have been recovered from the vessel that remains sunk in the frigid waters off the Korean coast. … [Read more...]

Investigation into San Francisco Crash Begins

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Federal safety investigators are meeting today to begin to try to answer the questions around what caused the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco last summer.  While they are doing this, they will also be looking at a little known incident from 2010. The incident took place at Seattle’s Boeing Field when a FAA test pilot was descending and levelled off to avoid another plane.  He was shocked that his speed fell 10-15 knots below his target speed despite the automated speed control … [Read more...]

Third American Detained by North Korea

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Yesterday North Korean officials announced that they had detained American tourist Jeffrey Edward Fowle, although this may not be his actual name, for alleged visa violations. He is the third American tourist to be detained since North Korea opened some of its areas to foreign visitors. The first, Kenneth Bae, has been detained for almost two years. North Korean authorities claimed that this American of Korean descent had entered North Korea in order to attempt to subvert the state. In April … [Read more...]

Top Camping Spots for the Summer

Assateague Horse

With the summer approaching and the weather turning warm (hopefully) thoughts begin to turn to holidays and weekend trips.  For those of the camping persuasion, there are so many choices of where to pitch your tent, it can be mind-blowing.  So here are a few that have been recommended by others are top camping spots to try out this summer. Vermont The Green Mountain National Forest is known for its Long Trail, the oldest long distance trail in the US.  It runs along the ridge of the Green … [Read more...]

World Cup Sees Fight Over More Than Just Cup

800px-Joseph_Blatter_-_World_Cup_2014

With the four years of anticipation between each contest, any World Cup tournament expects to see some rowdy crowds of soccer fans and the fierce competition between teams. Even the bidding between potential host cities are points of international contention, with some previous World Cups being boycotted by otherwise regular attending states as they were not held in the expected continent. However, this year’s cup in Brazil has been the source of a great of domestic, rather than international, … [Read more...]