US Threatens Sanctions on Iceland Over Whaling

Sellers aim to introduce dish to youth market

(NEWSER) - Illegal for two decades, whale meat is back on menus in Iceland, and entrepreneurs are hoping to turn young people on to its charms, the Wall Street Journal reports. The food is reminiscent of beef, but costs only half as much—perhaps a mark in its favor for the young. Still, encouraging them to try the stuff is difficult. “It's not going to happen,” says one 20-year-old. More»

Fractious conference delays decision on moratorium by a year

(NEWSER) - A moratorium on commercial whaling looks set to continue for another year after an international body put off a decision yesterday, the Economist notes, but its fate beyond that appears tenuous. The 81-nation International Whaling Commission, often paralyzed by conflicting views, also decided to revamp its decision-making process by forming a core panel of 20 nations to hash out resolutions. More»

Iceland, Rwanda, and Norway top the Independent's 'best' list

(NEWSER) - With International Women's Day coming up Thursday, should we weep or rejoice? While British women will likely face 14 more elections before women equal men in Parliament, women in Qatar are far more likely to attend university than men. That said, the Independent picked its best and worse nations for women to live:

1. Overall. Best: Iceland, where equality is high in health, education, politics, and employment. Worst: Yemen. Most dangerous: Afghanistan.

Sea Shepherd up to its usual tricks; Japan not amused

(NEWSER) - It's whaling season in the Antarctic Ocean, which means the rotten-butter-wielding activists at Sea Shepherd were busy making life miserable for the Japanese whaler Yushin Maru No. 2 today. Activists hurled paint and butyric acid—found in the aforementioned rotten butter—at the ship, as well as ropes designed to foul its rudder and propellers. Japanese authorities, who run the quasi-scientific group formed to dodge the ban on international whaling, were not amused, notes the AFP . More»

Official defends the controversial move

(NEWSER) - Of Japan's $230 billion in supplementary budgets meant for tsunami reconstruction, $29 million will be used for … a whaling hunt. An official confirmed the move today, and simultaneously defended it, noting that some whaling towns were hit badly by the March 11 tsunami, and the funding will help to support the country's whaling industry. The money will increase security and maintain operations for the annual Antarctic Ocean hunt, as whaling boats have been increasingly interfered with by conservationists. More»