Anthropocene: is this the new epoch of humans?Geologists, climate scientists, ecologists – and a lawyer – gather in Berlin for talks on whether to rename age of human life
Humanity’s terrifying impact on Earth justifies new Anthropocene epoch
A disparate group of experts from around the world will meet for the first time on Thursday for talks on what must rank as one of the most momentous decisions in human history.
The question confronting the scientists and other specialists is straightforward enough, even if the solution is far from simple. Is it time to call an end to the epoch we live in and declare the dawn of a new time period: one defined by humanity’s imprint on the planet?
The 30-strong group, made up of geologists, climate scientists, ecologists – and a lawyer for good measure – will start their deliberations in a room at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, or House of the Cultures of the World, a contemporary arts centre in Berlin.
16 October 2014 Last updated at 08:19
Ebola crisis: WHO says major outbreak in West 'unlikely'
A major outbreak of Ebola in the US and elsewhere in the West is unlikely given the strong health systems, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
US President Barack Obama also said the risk of Americans getting the virus was "extremely low", although he ordered a "much more aggressive response".
The US is investigating how a nurse infected when treating a victim in Texas was allowed to travel on a plane.
Officials are trying to trace the 132 people who flew with Amber Vinson.
The disease has killed about 4,500 people so far, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
EU health ministers will meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the crisis, including the possibility of sending more troops to West Africa to help contain the virus.
Putin signs law restricting foreign ownership of media
Russia obsessed with controlling Ukraine coverage, says Human Rights Watch
Isabel Gorst
Vladimir Putin signed a new Bill into law yesterday that bars foreign companies from owning more than 20 per cent of Russian media outlets.
Coming as the Kremlin wages an information war with the West over the Ukrainian crisis, the restrictions will hurt international investors and limit the influence of outside broadcasters and publishers in shaping Russian public opinion.
Amendments to Russia’s media law placing a 20 per cent cap on foreign ownership of television, radio print and online media were whisked through the Russian parliament last month without public debate. Existing legislation limits foreign ownership of media outlets to 50 per cent, but applies only to television and radio.
Japan jets scramble to counter rising Russian incursions
Tim Kelly
Chitose, Japan: The number of times Japanese fighter jets scrambled to ward off Russian military aircraft more than doubled in the last six months, amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is keen to ease.
The increased activity in Japan's north also comes as the armed forces pivot their focus southwards towards China, the assertive Asian giant which is seen in Tokyo as the more immediate challenge.
According to government figures released this week, instances of fighter jets scrambling into the skies above Japan jumped by 73 percent in the six months through September, led by sorties confronting Russian bombers and spy planes.
America's Saudi problem in its anti-IS coalition
Saudi Arabia sentenced dissident Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr to death today. That's trouble for a strategy that rests on ending sectarianism in Iraq.
Following two years in jail, most of that time in solitary confinement, Saudi Arabia sentenced dissident Shiite cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr to death today for leading demonstrations and "inciting sectarian strife." Mr. Nimr's predicament – and that of at least 5 other Shiite activists Saudi Arabia has sentenced to death this year – illustrates a problem for the US strategy for taking on the so-called Islamic State in Iraq.
The Obama administration believes that a non-sectarian government in Iraq is the key answer to the country's problems. There's little doubt that the Shiite dominated politics that emerged after the US invaded Iraq in 2003 has fueled support for IS among the country's Sunni Arabs.
US may appeal release of Guantanamo tape |
Federal judge asked to halt plans for releasing video showing Guantanamo Bay hunger striker being force-fed his meals.
Last updated: 16 Oct 2014 02:41
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The United States government has asked a federal judge to halt plans for releasing videotapes showing a Guantanamo Bay hunger striker being force-fed his meals.
In court papers filed on Wednesday night, the Justice Department told US District Judge Gladys Kessler that the government may appeal an order by the judge that would, for the first time, lead to disclosure of classified information in a proceeding involving a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.
The Justice Department told Kessler that she is substituting the court's judgment for that of executive branch officials, contrary to established precedent.
The government asked Kessler to halt the process that has been set up to enable the release of the tapes.
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