Report raises ethical concerns about human enhancement technologies
Scientists and ethicists call for public debate about the future use of drugs or other enhancements in the workplace
Drugs and digital technologies that will allow people to work harder, longer and smarter are coming soon, say scientists and ethicists, so we need to decide now how best to ensure they are used properly.
The comments are published on Wednesday in a report on human enhancement in the workplace written by experts from the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the British Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Human Enhancement and the Future of Work considers everything that could be said to improve a person's ability to do work, including so-called smart drugs, which can enhance memory and attention, as well as physical and digital enhancements such as bionic implants or the ever-improving computer technology to store and access information.
The Syrian refugees who do not want to go home
Iraqi Kurdistan offers new hope to families fleeing violence and a crippled economy
Unlike most refugees fleeing the destruction of the Syrian civil war, 27-year-old Lina Mohammed says she doesn't want to go home.
Among the rows of dusty tents that stretch endlessly up the hill in the Domiz refugee camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Mohammed house stands out – largely because it is a house.
The family spent $3,200 [£2,000] building the modest but comfortable one-room home rigged up with electricity, air-conditioning and a satellite dish. A tree is painted on the bright blue wall that encompasses their small front yard, a yellow sun emblazoned with the word "Kurdistan" pokes out from behind it.
AFRICA
Islamist Ansar Dine offers Mali olive branch
The Islamist group Ansar Dine has offered peace talks with Mali's central government. Meanwhile, west African nations continue to plan a military intervention to recapture northern Mali from Islamist militants.
Ansar Dine on Tuesday called for "all the armed movements" in northern Mali to join in "an inclusive political dialogue" with the divided west African nation's central government in Bamako.
The Islamist group, which reportedly has ties to al Qaeda, also said that it rejects "all forms of extremism and terrorism." After meeting with Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore on Tuesday, a diplomatic delegation representing Ansar Dine called for a "total halt to hostilities" in northern Mali.
The Islamists said in a declaration that they were committed to "the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms" and "the return of all displaced people and refugees." They also called for the implementation of a "full peace agreement that addresses all the deep causes of the crisis."
Greeks strike over spending cuts before crucial austerity vote
The strike has brought public transport to a virtual standstill and shuttered schools, banks, and local government offices in Greece the day before Parliament votes on a new round of wage and pension cuts.
By Karolina Tagaris, Reuters, Lefteris Papadimas, Reuters / November 6, 2012
Hundreds of thousands of Greeks began a crippling 48-hour strike on Tuesday to protest against a new round of wage and pension cuts that parliament is expected to approve by a narrow margin.
The parliamentary vote on Wednesday is the biggest test yet for the government of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, which needs victory to secure aid from foreign lenders but has failed to convince its smallest coalition partner and the public to back the reforms.
The strike, called by Greece's two biggest labour unions representing half of the four million-strong workforce, brought public transport to a virtual standstill and shuttered schools, banks and local government offices.
Korea
North Korean minders endure Chinese invasion
By Yvonne Su
PYONGYANG, North Korea - Although the North Korean government is known for being paranoid about foreign visitors, it has recently adopted a softer attitude toward Chinese tourists on the issue.
The totalitarian regime has also been modernizing its infrastructure to lure Chinese visitors, as was noted by senior North Korean tourism department official Hong Yin-chel at an economic, trade, culture and tourism promotion event hosted jointly with China in October.
Chinese visitors have proven one of North Korea's best sources of foreign currency to help offset losses after United Nations sanctions from 2009 shut down opportunities for the country to
The totalitarian regime has also been modernizing its infrastructure to lure Chinese visitors, as was noted by senior North Korean tourism department official Hong Yin-chel at an economic, trade, culture and tourism promotion event hosted jointly with China in October.
Chinese visitors have proven one of North Korea's best sources of foreign currency to help offset losses after United Nations sanctions from 2009 shut down opportunities for the country to
earn hard cash from the weapons business and the drugs trade. Some 60,000 to 70,000 Chinese tourists visited last year, up from an estimated 40,000 visitors in 2010.
7 November 2012 Last updated at 00:44 GMT
Why India loves a good electrician
Many Indians seem to be proud of their ability to deal with inefficiency - but how long can a country that projects itself as a global powerhouse continue to put up with a situation where anything that can go wrong, usually does?
It has been two years since my family and I moved to India full-time and, when I look around the boxy, expensive flat we rent and reflect on how I have spent my time here, inevitably I feel a bit tired.
On the bright side, I have managed to produce a second child, work and have some amazing adventures - but I also see many lost hours spent endlessly repairing things.
I have lost count of how many electrical sockets have melted. For the past month, strange electrical fluctuations in our sitting room have turned it into a discotheque. We have even had light bulbs explode above our heads.
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