Child slavery in the chocolate industry

Many people love chocolates. I, for one, am a huge fan of it but a documentary film that I watched last night made me think that there are many injustices behind my favorite dessert.

The four-part YouTube video titled The Dark Side of Chocolate(total running time: 45 minutes) opened my eyes that forced child labor exists in Ivory Coast where almost half of the world's cocoa is produced.

Terminal cancer patient barred to fly from US to Korea

A weak-looking 62-year-old woman who is suffering from stage 4 breast cancer was denied transportation to her home country via Korean Air on 8 May for Mother's Day.

Korean-American Crystal Kim accompanied by her daughter, Mimi, failed to take their seats in a flight from Seattle because airline authorities thought she was unfit to last the 11-hour travel even though she showed proofs from two doctors who cleared her that the illness will not be a deterrent, The Korea Herald said.

Successful HIV vaccine trial in monkeys gives hope for human cure

After years of working to create a vaccine that can effectively prevent the deadly HIV/AIDS, US scientists published a report that promises to find cure to the elusive virus.

In their experiment, 24 healthy rhesus monkeys were injected with a vaccine that will produce antigens and attack the monkey form of HIV, said the BBC.

May 12 is International Nurses Day

Feel good when you’re feeling bad. We have nurses to thank for.

May 12 marks the International Nurses Day. The world honors the thousands of nurses who dedicate their services to the millions of sick people.

7.1-Magnitude earthquake hits South Pacific, no injuries

The USGS reported a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the Loyalty Islands close to the island nation Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean at 08:55:11 UTC Tuesday.

No tsunami warnings were issued. There were no injuries or damages reported.

Thailand's mysterious tourist deaths linked to insecticide poisoning

Seven tourists were reported to have died between January and March while spending their holidays in northern Thailand, all with similar circumstances and symptoms of severe chest pain that progressed to vomiting and fainting.

An incredible life-threatening investigative journalism was undertaken by reporters of New Zealand's TV3 60 Minutes who traveled to Chiang Mai and posed as tourists to get samples and swabs in Downtown Inn—the hotel were all of the seven died.

Online survey shows 90% of foreigners want to stay in Japan despite the risks

An online survey conducted shortly after the 11 March triple calamities in Japan showed that over 90 percent of foreigners living in the country did not want to leave in spite of the damage and risks facing them.

A total of 392 respondents—90 percent of whom were Chinese, Taiwanese and South Koreans—answered the Internet-based poll conducted by the International Foreign Students Association between 22 and 26 March, The Japan Times said.

Japan: Radiation level in nuclear reactor 1 drops

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said Saturday that the radiation level inside the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear reactor 1 have dropped that will enable workers to reenter the building and make the necessary repairs.

The nuclear operator said the decrease in the level was due to a ventilator that was installed in the building on Thursday to filter out the radioactive materials from the air. However, there was no mention what the numerical values are, in a report by the Kyodo News.

Japan's radiation limit for kids criticized by US medical group

A US-based non-profit organization has criticized Japan's radiation safety standards for school children in Fukushima prefecture, one of the hardest hit areas during the 11 March calamity.

The Japanese government's radiation limit of less than 20 millisieverts for one year for kids was challenged by the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), The Japan Times said.

Philippines offers free cancer screening to women

The Department of Health (DOH) announced that it will offer free cervical cancer screening to women between ages 35 and 45 in 58 designated hospitals all over the country.

The cancer screening will be done once a week for the whole month of May in the observance of the cervical cancer awareness, according to the DOH Website.