For decades, the town of Pyramiden on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard was considered a model of Soviet society — until a tragic accident prompted its residents to abandon this former utopia, leaving it frozen in time.Jussi Toivanen/FlickrAbandoned Soviet buildings in Pyramiden.
On a remote Norwegian island inside the Arctic Circle lies Pyramiden, an abandoned coal mining town that once employed hundreds of men from the Soviet Union. In its heyday during the Cold War, this settlement was home to over 1,000 people trying to make an honest living in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth. Read More...
When American soldiers brought the modern world to remote islands in the Pacific, the cargo cults that worship John Frum were born. Men look over the spot where they believe the prophet John Frum first appeared to their ancestors around the time of World War II. Paul BLACKMORE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Every February 15th, followers of John Frum organize a big celebration in Sulphur Bay, a village along the Pacific Ocean on the island of Tanna, which is considered the movement's headquarters. Read More...
Saudi Arabia is third in the world for executions per year behind China and Iran.TwitterAn executioner and Saudi officials, moments before a beheading.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has officially decreed it will no longer impose the death penalty on individuals who committed crimes while underage. According to the BBC, the country’s Human Rights Commission ruled on the matter two days after they banned flogging.
It appears King Salman’s decree was partly motivated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Read More...
