Germany: Trace elements: why fish are swimming in a pharmaceutical soup
Prescription drugs regularly find their way into waterways where they harm fish and other aquatic life. Sewage plants could remove these substances but most balk at the prohibitive costs.
Some of the most common prescription and over-the-counter drugs found in water are antibiotics, antihistamines, pain killers, drugs used to control cholesterol, anti-depressants, and of course, hormones from birth control pills. ...
DW
Canada: Ontario Place to get new park-trail system
Ontarians got their first look at the fate that awaits Ontario Place on Wednesday, and although the views are preliminary, so far so good.
The plans unveiled show what designers hope to do with the eastern portion of the now defunct 1970s pleasure complex. They envision the 7.5-acre site, which has been a staff parking lot for the last four decades, as a dense mix of “forest” and open space — a “romantic garden” — aimed at families. ...
The Star
South Korea: S. Korea’s economic growth hits 2-year high in 2013
South Korea’s economic growth slowed in the fourth quarter from three months earlier but logged the fastest expansion in two years in 2013 on exports, the central bank said Thursday.
Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of economic performance, grew 0.9 percent in the October-December period from three months earlier, compared with a 1.1 percent on-quarter gain in the third quarter, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). ...
The Korea Herald
Brazil: Rio Trains Police With English Language Classes: Daily
As Brazil and Rio prepares to host some of the world’s biggest sporting events the state’s police are preparing for the influx of visitors by providing the city’s military police (PMs) with English language classes. The new programme aims to develop the skills of comprehension and oral production of PMs who work intensively on big events like the World Cup and the Olympics. ...
Rio Times
Morocco: Parliament Repeals Controversial Rape Law
The Moroccan parliament has amended a controversial law that allowed a rapist to marry his underage victim in order to escape prosecution, according to Al Jazeera. The vote to repeal the law reportedly received the unanimous backing of the country’s MPs. ...
All Africa
Bhutan: Democracy House construction begins
The construction of election commission office at Kawajangsa began yesterday with the conduct of salang tendrel, or the ground-breaking ceremony.
The construction is scheduled for completion by December 2015 for election officials to move into and to be able to conduct the local government elections in 2016. ...
Kuensel Online
Ireland: PayPal challenger Stripe valued at $1.75bn
Irish founded payments company Stripe has joined the billion-dollar club.
The online payment-processing startup has raised $80 million from venture capital investors in a deal that values Stripe at a hefty $1.75 billion.
The transaction places the 90-person firm in the rarefied company of startups valued at more than $1 billion just three years after Limerick brothers Patrick and John Collison, now ages 25 and 23, debuted their service. ...
Irish Times
*Image of Toronto via Shutterstock.
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