Three former executives charged with negligence over 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster
Five years after an earthquake and tsunami caused several nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, a citizen’s panel ruled that three former Tokyo Electric Power Company executives will appear in court. The three former executives have been charged with professional negligence, and the panel said the men neglected to take certain measures after learning of the risk of a tsunami. A Japanese national broadcaster reported that they will plead not guilty because they could not have predicted the severity of the tsunami. Information courtesy of bbc.com.
Ontario to offer virtually free college tuition to low-income students
The Ontario government said its 2016 budget will allow students whose families make less than $50,000 annually to receive grants to cover college tuition with the new Ontario Student Grant. The new financial aid system comes after the government announced a renewed focus on increasing accessibility to postsecondary education for students from low-income homes. In addition, in 2017, students will be able to borrow $2,500 more a year. Low-income students who live at home usually only receive $500 in loans a year. For those who attend universities, where tuition is generally higher, grants may not cover the entire amount. Information courtesy of theglobeandmail.com.
Amazon to ship fresh and frozen food in Britain through deal with supermarket chain
A new deal with Amazon will allow it to ship fresh and frozen Morrison’s products to Amazon Prime Now and Pantry subscribers later this year, according to Morrisons, Britain’s fourth biggest supermarket. Morrisons Chief Executive David Potts said, “The combination of our fresh food expertise with Amazon’s online and logistics capabilities is compelling. This is a low risk and capital light wholesale supply arrangement that demonstrates the opportunity we have to become a broader business.” Retail analysts project that the new service will be similar to the U.S. Amazon Fresh service, which provides subscribers with 20,000 items from local stores. Information courtesy of nbc.news.com.
Voters reject proposal to expel foreign criminals from Switzerland
SRF, a public broadcaster, reported that 59 percent of Swiss voters voted to reject plans to expel foreigners who commit low- to high-level crimes. The Swiss People’s Party (SVP), a nationalist party that campaigns against immigration, proposed a plan that would add expulsion to foreign criminals’ sentences, regardless of the severity of the crime, if the criminal commits the same crime within a 10-year period. Multiple political parties spoke out against the proposal because it would treat foreigners, who make up a quarter of the country’s population, harsher than Swiss nationals. Information courtesy of theguardian.com.
Nearly 24,000 nonexistent Nigerian government workers removed from payroll
Nigeria’s Finance Ministry said an audit revealed that nearly 24,000 government workers did not exists, prompting the government to remove them from its payroll and saving about $11.5 million dollars a month. The audit, which began in December, used biometric data and a bank verification number to locate bank accounts into which the government deposited salaries, revealing workers whose names did not match those attached to the bank accounts. President Muhammadu Buhari, who entered office last year, initiated the audit as part of his anti-corruption campaign in Nigeria, which has the highest GDP in Africa and is the continent’s biggest oil producer. Information courtesy of bbc.com.
Former Guatemalan military men sentenced for rape, murder, sexual enslavement
In the first successful prosecution for sexual violence committed during Guatemala’s military conflict in the 1980s, a court sentenced Francisco Reyes Giron and Heriberto Valdez Asij to a combined 360 years in jail for murdering, raping and sexually enslaving indigenous women. Giron, a former commander, was found guilty of enslaving 15 women and killing one woman and her daughters and was sentenced to 120 years in jail. Asij, a former paramilitary, was also found guilty of the same enslavement charges, as well as the disappearance of seven men, and was sentenced to 240 years in jail. Information courtesy of bbc.com.
UK to send troops to protect Libyan border
To help prevent ISIS militants from entering Tunisia from Libya, the United Kingdom will send 20 troops from the 4th Infantry Brigade “to counter illegal cross-border movement,” said Britain’s Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon. Fallon expressed extreme concern about an increase in ISIS members in Libya, lobbying for the creation of a new Libyan government, but said the troops will act in a non-combative role. The decision comes amid concern that ISIS plans to use Libya as a headquarters for planning and executing attacks. Because of political turmoil, ISIS has been able to establish and expand their presence in Syria. Information courtesy of reuters.com.
