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Police have trapped around 800 students inside a Hong Kong university and have threatened to use live bullets on those who fail to surrender. The anti-government protesters at the sprawling Polytechnic University remain holed up, fearful of police with water cannons, ammunition and armoured vehicles. Officers used teargas last night in what has become one of the most prolonged and tense confrontations between police and demonstrators in more than five months of political unrest. And police threatened to fire "rioters" with live bullets today. The terrified students countered the volleys of teargas and rubber bullets with gasoline bombs, slingshots and bows and arrows. Several of the demonstrators have been arrested. But others have managed to hide under umbrellas and shields made out of debris. Democratic lawmaker Hui Chi-fung said: "The police might not storm the campus but it seems like they are trying to catch people as they attempt to run. "It’s not optimistic now. They … [Read more...] about Police trap 800 students inside Hong Kong university and threaten to shoot over unrest

Adelaide, July 7 (IANS) US tech giant Tesla is set to install the world's largest lithium ion battery in South Australia in partnership with French energy utility Neoen, officials confirmed on Friday.The installation, which will store energy from Neoen's Hornsdale wind farm, is expected to be concluded by the end of the year, reports Efe news.The 100-megawatt battery will operate at all times to provide stability services for renewable energy, and will be available to provide back-up power in case of emergency."You can essentially charge up the battery packs when you have excess power when the cost of production is very low... and then discharge it when the cost of power production is high, and this effectively lowers the average cost to the end customer," Tesla founder Elon Musk said at a press briefing here.Musk said the future Tesla battery will be three times more powerful than the current largest battery in the world, which is 30 megawatts."It's a fundamental efficiency … [Read more...] about Tesla to install world’s largest lithium ion battery

Japan releases world’s longest serving death row inmate because evidence that put him behind bars for 45 YEARS was probably made up Iwao Hakamada, 78, was convicted of the murder of a family in 1966He has spent the last 45 years behind bars on death row, a Guinness World Record - including 30 years in solitary confinement waiting to dieHe was sentenced to death in 1968, but was not executed because of a lengthy appeals processA Japanese court has now ordered for his release and retrial, although the prosecution has four days to decide whether it will appeal the decisionBy William Turvill Published: 06:35 GMT, 27 March 2014 | Updated: 14:11 GMT, 27 March 2014 e-mail A Japanese court has ordered the release of the world’s longest serving death row inmate because the evidence used against him was likely made up.Iwao Hakamada, 78, a former professional boxer convicted of the 1966 murder of a family, has spent the last 45 years behind bars on death row, a … [Read more...] about Japan releases world’s longest serving death row inmate because evidence that put him behind bars for 45 YEARS was probably made up

The big day, Sunday June 30, dawns, and New York City is very visibly bursting at the seams with LGBTQ people, their loved ones and allies. They have whistles and—as your ears will know by 6 p.m. today—they know how to use them. There are no more rainbow flags, rainbow sunglasses, and rainbow shirts left in the city. Only very specific meteorological conditions can produce another rainbow. There will be two Pride marches in New York on Sunday: the Queer Liberation March, setting off at 9.30 am from outside the Stonewall Inn and making its way to Central Park. This march has been set up in protest against the over-corporatization and the police presence at the main Pride march, which sets off at noon from the Flatiron. This year it is both World Pride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and an estimated 4 million people in NYC will be out celebrating, shouting, marching, and applauding. People often ask, what the mood is like at Pride; and sometimes at Pride, … [Read more...] about March With Joy, Anger, and Power: Why Stonewall 50 and World Pride Is So Important to LGBTQ People

A Moscow court has upheld the arrest of Paul Whelan, an American citizen being held in Russia on espionage charges who has called his case a “hostage situation”. The court rejected Whelan’s appeal to be released from Russia’s notorious Lefortovo prison, where he has been held for more than 11 months, in a hearing closed to the press because his case is classified. Whelan has lost weight and complained of abuse in the prison, according to monitors who have visited him. He appeared by video link on Tuesday, filmed in a defendant’s cage in Lefortovo prison with the sound off. In a previous courtroom appearance, Whelan had delivered an impassioned speech to members of the press allowed to hear the court’s decision, saying: “Russia thought they caught James Bond on a spy mission, in reality they abducted Mr Bean on holiday.” He ignored orders from a judge to remain quiet. Russia has accused Whelan of collecting information about members of … [Read more...] about Moscow court rejects appeal of US man held on espionage charges