West Bank: Palestinian comedians traverse unknown boundaries
RAMALLAH—“Can someone explain to Erekat what does ‘I quit’ mean?”
Part of the latest stand-up comedy show in Ramallah, lines like this are becoming more and more acceptable as Palestinian comedians launch their careers. This particular routine, by Palestinian-American Maysoon Zayed, cynically refers to the Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat. The veteran Palestinian politician had quit over Al-Jazeera-leaked Palestinian papers about the Mideast peace talks in 2011, yet he remains in his position today. …
Jerusalem Post
Japan: Google Street View goes inside Fukushima evacuation zones
Former residents, via Google’s Street View, can now virtually visit areas in Fukushima Prefecture that were devastated by the nuclear disaster.
Google Japan Inc. released the images, which give viewers a 360-degree perspective, on Sept. 4.
The areas include eight municipalities in the Hamadori district of eastern Fukushima, most of which lie within zones that were evacuatd due to the reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. ...
Asahi
Australia: Call to change the definition of drunk
The word “drunk” should be redefined and “vindictive” police should be barred from slapping fines on pubs and clubs under law changes proposed by NSW’s powerful hotel lobby.
The Australian Hotels Association says the current definition of “intoxicated” - used to decide who should be refused service or removed from a venue - is too subjective, covering everything from exuberant behaviour to being stupefied. …
Sydney Morning Herald
Romania: Archaeologists find lost Roman wall in Romania using spy satellite pictures
Archaeologists from the UK have uncovered Roman fortifications from the second century AD in Romania using declassified spy photography.
Calling it “the lost Roman Eastern frontier”, researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Exeter identified a long wall that ran 60 kilometers from the Danube to the Black Sea. …
Bill Hanson, Professor of Roman Archaeology from the University of Glasgow, said the “important discovery” was the most easterly example of a man-made frontier barrier system in the Roman Empire.
“We believe we have enough evidence here to demonstrate the existence of a chronologically complex Roman frontier system, and the most easterly example of a man-made barrier in the Roman Empire, serving to block an important and strategically valuable routeway,” Hanson said. …
Romania Insider
New Zealand: Closing ozone hole may heat up Antarctica-researcher
The ozone hole over New Zealand is closing, but it may warm up Antarctica which could then affect the West Coast and Canterbury Plains, a university researcher says.
Dr Adrian McDonald, from Canterbury University’s Physics and Astronomy department, was commenting after data released by the World Meteorological Organisation showed the ozone layer would recover between the years 2050 and 2100. …
New Zealand Herald
Canada: NHL player in grizzly bear hunting dispute with B.C. First Nations
Clayton Stoner, an NHL hockey player from Vancouver Island, has found himself at the centre of a controversy with several B.C. First Nations for shooting a grizzly bear while hunting on a remote section of the West Coast.
The Minnesota Wild defenceman says he shot the grizzly while hunting with a grizzly bear hunting licence issued by the B.C. government as part of the annual lottery.
But the Coastal First Nations alliance has fought the licensed hunting of grizzly bears in the region dubbed the Great Bear Rainforest, and in September 2012 announced their own ban on trophy hunting for bears in the territories of all nine member nations. ...
“The bear, nicknamed ‘Cheeky’ by local field technicians, was skinned and left to rot in a field. His head and paws were carried out past a sign declaring trophy hunting closed in the Great Bear Rainforest,” said a statement released by the Coastal First Nations alliance. …
CBC
Scotland: ‘Improvement’ call on Scottish school toilets
Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People has launched a campaign for new guidelines on school toilets.
Tam Baillie said the quality of the facilities must be monitored and guaranteed in the same way as workplaces for adults.
He argued the move was needed to ensure “dignified and safe facilities”. …
BBC
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