Opal – The Queen of Gems
The name "opal" derives from the Latin word opalus, which means "precious gem," as well as from the Greek...
Wildfire Threatens Large South Korean Nuclear Plant
The breakout of a severe wildfire has put one of the largest nuclear power plants in South Korea under...
SWIFT Drops Russia But Sanctions May ‘Backfire’
As Russia’s war with Ukraine wages on, many parts of the world have launched financial sanctions against...
Chinese Woman Accuses Executive of Pressuring Her Into Abortions, Leaves ‘Final Will’
A 23-year-old Chinese woman took to social media implying she will kill herself after using her real...
China Calls for Total Abolition of Family Planning Laws as Country Faces Growing Demographic Crisis
China's birth rate plummeted for a fifth consecutive year to hit a new record low in 2021, despite government efforts in encouraging couples to have more children in the face of a rising demographic crisis....
China’s ‘Belt and Road’ and Strategic Interests Imperiled by Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rages into its ninth day, Beijing has still refused to publicly condemn Putin’s actions and more international pressure is now being applied onto China.However, according to several observers and financial...
Nearly Half Of Americans Earning Over 100k Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck, Report
According to a recently published report by LendingClub Corporation in partnership with PYMNTS.com, 48 percent of Americans earning in excess of $100,000 per year are living paycheck to paycheck. To compile the report PYMNTS.com collected ...
Ukraine Struggles With Optics of Ultra-Nationalist Neo-Nazi Azov Militia
While military clashes flare in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the propaganda war is as intense as the military one, with Ukraine struggling to polish away the country’s neo-Nazi elements. Most renowned is a military group called...
CDC Awards Controversial Palantir $5.3 Million Extension of COVID Drug Distribution Contract
Software giant Palantir has obtained a $5.3 million contract from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to allocate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and drugs, predominantly among underserved communities—but some doubt its good intentions....
Pets and Marijuana – How Cannabis Can Affect Our Creature Companions
Cannabis is already a dodgy subject among humans. While recently recognized for its medicinal value in many areas of the world, the fact remains that it is a psychoactive drug, whether it is legal or...
Is China the Real Winner of the Russia-Ukraine War?
News analysis Early in the morning of Feb. 24, the Russian Federation launched a “special military operation” on multiple fronts across Ukraine, escalating a frozen conflict that began in 2014 to a full-scale invasion. The...
Russia Reveals the Meaning of ‘Z’ and ‘V’ Symbols Painted on Its Ukraine Invasion Units
For the week since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, observers from the amateur to expert have noticed the white sprayed-painted letters adorning tanks and other vehicles taking part in the "special military operation." While their utility...