Volcanic ash is making its way over the capital area, and will likely make conditions overcast and lower the air quality for the next few days.According to Morgunblaðið, the ash is being carried by dry winds from the plains east of the mountains east of Reykjavík, moving westward and southward.The weather office predicts, however, that there will be rainfall across south and east Iceland, which should make air quality conditions more bearable.Air quality right now is slightly poor. The average amount of dust considered the "healthy limit" in the air is 50 µg/m3. However, the proportion was 57.5 µg/m3 at 13:00, and up to about 140 µg/m3 at midnight last night.Those with lung conditions are advised to stay indoors until the rain passes through the ... Continue reading →
ALL mountain climbs contain an element of risk. How a mountaineer chooses to approach that risk, using the sum of the physical, mental and emotional powers at his or her disposal, is the basic challenge of the endeavor. At its best, mountaineering rewards shrewd and independent decision making. Sadly, events on the south (Nepalese) side of Mount Everest this season suggest that while the risks inherent in climbing the mountain have never been greater, a majority of Everest climbers are increasingly estranged from the decision-making process. Two intersecting trends are to blame: the rising number of people attempting the mountain, and the cumulative effects of global warming, which is slowly yet steadily drying out the Himalayas, resulting in rockfalls, avalanches and sérac collapses. The sheer ... Continue reading →
Indian women explain why they are buying guns for protection, in response to rising rates of sexual harassment and robbery. Link to this video When Dr Harveen Kaur Sidhu travels from her home in an upmarket neighbourhood of the north-western Indian city of Chandigarh, she always slips her lightweight .22 revolver in her bag. The gun is a new purchase – Sidhu got her licence only a year ago – but now the 33-year-old dentist won't travel without it."I don't have faith in the police to protect me. There are so many attacks on women these days. It's everybody's right to defend themselves. I think all women who are vulnerable should be carrying guns," Sidhu said. She is not alone. A growing number of well-off, ... Continue reading →
Yamuna Nagar, Haryana: Daughters are precious, don't kill them even before they are born - this was the message actor Aamir Khan wanted to spread through the first episode of his much talked-about TV show "Satyamev Jayate." Aamir talked at length about the alarming statistics on female foeticide and shared case studies - all with the aim of convincing the masses to discourage and help eradicate the social evil. So has the message reached all intended recipients? Well, contrary to the expectations of many, it seems not yet.In Haryana's Yamuna Nagar area, a Delhi suburb, a woman doctor has been arrested after she was allegedly caught aborting a girl child during a raid conducted by health department officials.Priyanka, a BMS doctor from Saharanpur in UP, ... Continue reading →
(Geneva) – United Nations member states should make ending caste-based discrimination a priority when they review India’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council in late May 2012. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of India at the Human Rights Council is scheduled for May 24. “United Nations member states should call for effective implementation of laws and policies to address caste-related human rights violations in India,” said Julie de Rivero, Geneva advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Numerous UN human rights bodies and civil society groups are demanding that the Indian government move from promises to action to improve the lives of people who have long endured horrific discrimination.” Over 260 million people worldwide face extreme forms of discrimination, exploitation, and violence based ... Continue reading →
