NEWSROOM
Rwandan genocide tribunal closes last two cases
The Rwandan war crimes tribunal has ended after more than 29 years, with the closure of the last two cold cases. Set up after the 1994 genocide that killed more than 800,000, it has successfully convicted more than 60 people in a near three-decade pursuit of justice for the victims. The tribunal closed over video conference, The Guardian reports, after the prosecutor and leaders of the fugitive-tracking team agreed that the final two suspects had died in central Africa. The tribunal was modelled on a similar court set up in the former Yugoslavia.
Free-roaming bison to help store 54,000 tonnes of carbon
The reintroduction of a free-roaming herd of bison to Romania’s Țarcu mountains could store as much carbon every year as is released by more than 40,000 US cars, according to Yale and Memorial University of Newfoundland researchers. Bison drop seeds to encourage growth and compact soil on the move, preventing the release of stored carbon. They were endemic to Romania, before being wiped out two centuries ago. The 170-strong herd could grow to 350-450 before long, after being reintroduced to Romania by Rewilding Europe and WWF Romania in 2014.
Climate change linked to dementia and epilepsy
Rising temperatures could be straining your internal organs, including the brain, according to researchers from University College London. Previous studies have demonstrated the strain that climate change puts on respiratory health, and this new report brings together over 300 investigations into climate-related neurology, arguing that as temperatures rise, the human body finds it increasingly difficult to regulate internal temperature. Speaking to Bloomberg, Burcin Ikiz, founder of the International Neuro Climate Working Group, expressed concern over the potential “explosion” of neurological conditions by 2050, especially in younger patients.
Dutch students battle housing shortage by building their own homes
A group of Amsterdam students has received approval for a co-operative housing project, after raising more than €9mn in bank and local government loans, crowdfunding and two bond issues. Their non-profit collective will own the building in IJburg, which will include more than 40 apartments, guest rooms and a music studio. In a city where the wait for social housing can take 20 years, the municipality hopes to raise the social housing stock to 10% of all new-builds.
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