Interesting, Non Political News

Lisa Grace, 42, spotted the Medieval jewel, which is in pristine condition, while searching a recently-ploughed field in Lincolnshire. It is believed the pin is linked to royalty as Edward IV and his circle wore strikingly similar pieces during his two reigns as King from 1460 until his death in 1483. Experts believe that the jewel was made in the late 15th century and is designed as a sun in splendour - the personal emblem of Edward IV. They believe that the piece may have been lost in battle. His first reign was filled with power struggle and conflicts, with many taking place in the area.

At the centre of the piece is a purple amethyst stone, another of the King's favourites, leading some specialists to speculate that it may have been lost by Edward IV himself. The pin closely resembles a very similar jewel depicted on Edward IV's hat in a portrait preserved in The Museum Calvet in Avignon, France.

Click to expand...

Japan on Wednesday passed a law compensating tens of thousands of people who were sterilized, often without their consent, under a government program to prevent the birth of “inferior descendants” that remained in effect until 1996. Many of the victims were physically or cognitively disabled, and others suffered from mental illness, leprosy - now a curable affliction known as Hansen’s disease - or simply had behavioral problems.

The law, which states that “we seriously reflect and deeply apologize”, promises to pay each victim, many of whom were in their teens or younger when operated upon, 3.2 million yen ($29,000) in compensation. It was unanimously passed by the upper house of parliament, after previously passing the more powerful lower house. According to the new law, victims have five years to apply for compensation, subject to approval by a board of experts.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued a statement apologizing and saying every effort would be made to ensure that society did away with discrimination against the disabled. “During the period the law was in effect, many people were subjected to operations that made them unable to have children based on their having a disability or another chronic illness, causing them great suffering. As the government that carried out this law, after deep reflection, I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

Japan’s “Eugenics Protection Law” came into effect in 1948 as it struggled with food shortages and rebuilding a war-ravaged nation, and was only revoked in 1996. During that time, an estimated 25,000 people were sterilized, with at least 16,500 not giving consent, which the eugenics board could order if it signed off on the procedures after an often cursory review. Few records remain. Sterilizations peaked in the 1960s and 1970s, with the last surgery under the law carried out in 1993.

Click to expand...

Bitcoin trader Chad Elwartowski and Supranee Thepdet sought to be pioneers in the “seasteading” movement, which promotes living in international waters to be free of any nation’s laws. They escaped before the navy’s initial April 18 raid and remain in hiding. “The couple announced on social media declaring their autonomy beyond the jurisdiction of any courts or law of any countries, including Thailand,” Rear Adm. Vithanarat Kochaseni told reporters, adding they had invited others to join them. “We see such action as deteriorating Thailand’s independence.”

The floating home was set on top of a spar more than 12 nautical miles off the Thai island of Phuket. Elwartowski and Thepdet lived in the structure for two months before they left, ahead of the raid. They have both been charged with violating Thai sovereignty, punishable by the death penalty or life in prison. The territorial sea of a nation, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state.

The couple wrote on their website that the floating home was anchored outside Thailand’s territorial waters, at least 12 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket. “It’s designed to ignite an entire libertarian movement of freedom seekers gearing up to live in permanent dwellings at sea—outside of the jurisdiction of any government,” wrote Thepdet. The claim is supported by an official statement released by Ocean Builders, the company who built the couple’s floating home: “Our AIS beacon is still displaying our position 13 nautical miles from Thailand, outside of Thailand’s territorial waters,” Ocean Builders wrote.

But a Thai deputy naval commander insisted the project was a threat. “This affects our national security and cannot be allowed,” Kotchaseni told Thai media on April 16, as cited by The Associated Press. He said the floating house also would pose a safety threat to navigation if it broke loose, because the area is considered a shipping lane. Thai authorities cited by Reuters said the structure is within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone and on those grounds, its construction is a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Click to expand...