Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Puppet Masters

'Westminster pedophile ring may have murdered my 8yo son' - ex-magistrate RT 2014-11-19 15:09:00 The father of an eight-year-old boy who died in the 1980s has alleged that his son may have been abducted and murdered by members of a Westminster pedophile ring. He claims Scotland Yard were complicit in "covering up" the crime. Vishambar Mehrotra, a retired magistrate, said he recorded a male prostitute saying in a telephone call that Mehrotra's son Vishal may have been abducted in the notorious Elm Guest House in southwest London in 1981. Mehrotra also said despite playing the recording for police officers, they refused to investigate allegations that high-profile judges and politicians were involved in the kidnapping of his son.

Father claims Scotland Yard covered up son's murder by Westminster paedophiles UK Telegraph 2014-11-19 21:49:00 The father of murdered eight-year-old Vishal Mehrotra says police ignored a tip-off that the boy may have been abducted by a VIP paedophile ring

Picture report: The U.S. bombing of Kobani in Syria Harrison Koehli Sott.net 2014-11-18 21:11:00 Do read Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya's article from a week or so ago: The War in Rojava: How U.S. and Turkey seek to gain control over Syria. In it, he writes: Instead of preventing the fall of Kobani and supporting the local defenders which were doing the heavy fighting on the ground against the ISIL and containing its pseudo-caliphate, Washington did not move. The US position on Kobani is an important indicator that the US war initiated against the ISIL has been mere bravado and a fictitious public relations stunt aimed at hiding the real objective of getting a strategic foothold inside Syrian territory. ... Although Turkey passed legislature to invade Syria on October 2, Ankara remained cautious. In reality, Turkey was doing everything in its power to ensure that Kobani would fall into the control of the ISIL and that Kobani's local defenders would be defeated. In the context of Kobani, numerous reports were made revealing that large weapon shipments were delivered to the heavily armed battalions of the ISIL by Turkey for the offensive on Kobani. One journalist, Serena Shim, would pay with her life for trying to document this. ... The Pentagon's two different approaches, one for Iraq and one for Syria, say a lot about what Washington is doing in the Syrian Arab Republic. Washington is still going after Syria and in the process it and Turkey wants to either co-opt the Syrian Kurds or to neutralize them. This is why the battle for Kobani was launched with Turkish involvement and why there was inaction by the US government. Now, after failing to help the Kurds defeat ISIS when it really mattered, the U.S. has decided to just bomb the hell out of the city. The U.S. Air Force reportedly conducted 31 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq between November 14-17, 9 of which were near Kobani.

Putin: Mutual respect and non-interference is best way for relations with U.S. to improve RT 2014-11-19 21:34:00 Vladimir Putin has accepted the credentials of new US Ambassador John Tefft, and said that he hopes for a thawing in ties with Washington, based on mutual respect - and both sides keeping out of each other's backyards. "We are ready for practical cooperation with our American partners concerning a wide range of issues under the principles of mutually understanding each other, without interfering in each other's internal affairs," Putin said at a ceremony at the Kremlin, where he accepted the credentials of 15 new ambassadors to the country, including US Ambassador John Tefft. Putin said that Russia and the US share responsibility for ensuring safety and stability around the globe, and reiterated that Moscow was willing to work with the US following strained relationsbetween the two countries. Underlining the importance of the two countries' roles around the world, Putin said, "Russia and the US have a particular responsibility to support safety and stability in the world and to counter global challenges and threats," according to a transcript of his remarks reported by RIA Novosti.

Amnesty slams UAE as 'deeply repressive state beneath facade of glamour' RT.com 2014-11-19 21:22:00 The United Arab Emirates has been accused of an "unprecedented clampdown on dissent," as more than 100 activists have been jailed since 2011 for calling for political transformation, Amnesty International said in a newly released report. In an 80-page report titled 'There is no freedom here': Silencing dissent in the UAE, the NGOblames the ruling theocracy for distracting the eye of foreigners with the glamorous appearance of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while at the same time conducting harsh violations of human rights. The probe, published ahead of the F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, exposes the gap between the public image the UAE tries to present and the harsh reality on the ground. "Millions of spectators from across the world are expected to tune in to watch the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix this weekend - yet most of them will have little clue about the ugly reality of life for activists in the UAE," said Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa Program, Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. The "darker reality" in the UAE is characterized by torture and widespread abuse by authorities- something that has gone largely unnoticed since the start of the series of Arab Spring uprisings in 2011.

Ukraine's coal reserves 'unprecedented' low, not enough for another month - Deputy Energy Minister RT.com 2014-11-19 21:07:00 Two out of ten coal-fired power plants in Ukraine only have enough stock for a few days, as the key coal mines supplying the plants are located in Donbass where Kiev and self-defense forces are fighting, says Ukraine's Deputy Energy Minister Yury Zyukov. In 2012 and 2013 Ukraine extracted about 85 million tons of coal, of which 40 billion tons were used for domestically, Zyukov told Glavkom magazine, adding that previously Ukraine even exported coal. "Situations as this one have never happened in the history of an independent Ukraine, we have never had such precedents."

Comment: And again we see feckless and self-destructive policies being implemented by the Kiev junta because Ukraine is now, as a result of the US-led coup in March, entirely beholden to US and EU foreign policy which is aimed at destroying Russia and cares nothing for the well-being of the Ukrainian people.

Libyan 'rebels' now ISIS (they always were) Tony Cartalucci Land Destroyer Report 2014-11-19 19:50:00 Comment: As usual, Tony Cartalucci nails it. As he's written before, ISIS is the U.S.'s dream proxy army. They simply arm a group of terrorists in one country, call them 'pro-democracy protesters' or 'moderate rebels', then send them into another country. In the case of ISIS, they put on a show, claiming to be fighting them (even though they're essentially identical to the 'moderate rebels' they're openly supporting there), but their efforts are so ineffective and blatantly opposite to their stated goals that they enter the realm of farce. The United States has attempted to claim that the only way to stop the so-called "Islamic State" in Syria and Iraq is to first remove the government in Syria. Complicating this plan are developments in Libya, benefactor of NATO's last successful regime change campaign. In 2011, NATO armed, funded, and backed with a sweeping air campaign militants in Libya centered around the eastern Libyan cities of Tobruk, Derna, and Benghazi. By October 2011, NATO successfully destroyed the Libyan government, effectively handing the nation over to these militants. What ensued was a campaign of barbarism, genocide, and sectarian extremism as brutal in reality as what NATO claimed in fiction was perpetrated by the Libyan government ahead of its intervention.The so-called "rebels" NATO had backed were revealed to be terrorists led by Al Qaeda factionsincluding the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The so-called "pro-democracy protesters" Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi was poised to attack in what NATO claimed was pending "genocide" were in fact heavily armed terrorists that have festered for decades in eastern Libya. Almost immediately after NATO successfully destroyed Libya's government, its terrorist proxies were mobilized to take part in NATO's next campaign against Syria. Libyan terrorists were sent first to NATO-member Turkey were they were staged, armed, trained, and equipped, before crossing the Turkish-Syrian border to take part in the fighting.

Did we vote for war? Patrick J. Buchanan AntiWar.com 2014-11-18 19:57:00 "How do you like the Journal's war?" So boasted the headline of William Randolph Hearst's New York flagship that week in 1898 that the United States declared war on Spain. While Hearst's Journal, in a circulation battle with Joe Pulitzer's World, was a warmongering sheet, it did not start the war. Yet the headline comes to mind reading the Wall Street Journal, whose editorial pages seem to have concluded that on Nov. 4 America voted for new wars in the Middle East, and beyond. On Nov. 13, the Journal's op-ed page was given over to Mark Dubowitz and Reuel Marc Gerecht of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Assuming nuclear talks with Iran conclude unsuccessfully by the Nov. 24 deadline, they write, we have four options. Two involve continued or tougher sanctions. The other two are a preemptive war featuring U.S. air and missile strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, or a U.S. attack to bring down Bashar Assad's regime. "Taking Mr. Assad down would let Tehran know that America's withdrawal from the Middle East and President Obama's dreams of an entente with Iran are over." It would surely do that.

Comment: Of course! Without wars to feed the bankers, everything would collapse.

Russia is being 'isolated'. Really? Putin accepts credentials of 15 new ambassadors Michael Klimentyev Sputnik 2014-11-19 18:42:00 Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the credentials of 15 new ambassadors during a ceremony held on Wednesday at the Grand Kremlin Palace. "I would like to sincerely wish you every success and express a hope that your work here will facilitate the development of bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in various areas between Russia and the countries you represent," Putin said. The Russian president handed out letters of credence to newly appointed ambassadors Mohhamed Ali Kamil (Djibouti), Claude Bezot (Central African Republic), Petros Zeggai Asgedom (Eritrea), Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz (Poland), Kim Hen Jun (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), Kodzo Kpoku Alabo (Ghana), Nguyen Thanh Son (Vietnam), John Francis Tefft (United States), Solomon Jason Mbuzi (Zambia), Umit Yardim (Turkey), Wynjones Matthew Kisamba (Tanzania), Yanosh Balla (Hungary), Juan Humberto Umeres Alvares (Peru), Juan Ernesto Vasquez Araya (Nicaragua), and Akmal Kamalov (Uzbekistan). "Heads of 15 diplomatic missions are here today and, as we traditionally do, I would like to briefly characterize the state of relations with every state which you represent," the president stated.

Comment: Trite as it is, honey really does catch more flies than vinegar, and Russia has backed up its kind words with real deeds. The US will find that its bullying tactics will fail, and sooner than later. Moscow is perfectly positioned to act when that happens.

The vultures are circling: The end of the Postal Service as we know it Kira Lerner ThinkProgress 2014-11-18 17:43:00 If Congress does not pass legislation that would save the Postal Service from financial collapse before the end of its current session, the future of the country's mail service will be in the hands of a senator who opposes government unions and thinks the Postal Service should be privatized.  In January, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is slated to take over as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees the federal workforce and the entire Postal Service. Johnson has said that the Postal Service should go through a bankruptcy processthat would result in a downsized, private corporation that would lose the benefits of governmental oversight and regulation. It could also allow the revised entity to terminate or substantially modify its contracts, including its collective bargaining agreements with various postal unions.  Comment: And there you have it. The USPS is subject to unique and unfair rules with respect to its operation, such as pre-contribution to its pension fund, which distorts the financial state of the department. The Postal Service is actually one of the few profitable government agencies, running entirely generated revenue: "The red ink one hears about stems entirely from congressional politics. In 2006, a lame-duck Congress mandated that the Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health benefits. No other public or private entity is required to do this for even one year; USPS has to pre-fund 75 years into the future, and pay for it over a decade. This $5.6 billion annual charge accounts for 100 percent of postal "losses." One can imagine the salivating private sector just waiting to step into the void if this bill gets through. Last year, Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) introduced the Postal Reform Act of 2014 which would restructure the needless requirement that the agency pre-fund 75 years' worth of employee health benefits, a demand no other businesses or institutions face. The bill would also allow for a gradual end to Saturday mail service if financially necessary, as well as the eventual termination of door-to-door service, but would not mandate either of these steps.

Fighting words: Lugansk militia leader throws down gauntlet to Ukraine president RT 2014-11-19 17:03:00 The leader of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) Igor Plotnitsky has thrown down the gauntlet to the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, pledging that "the one who wins, will set his terms" for ending the bloody conflict in the region. "I suggest you consider just one, but a very good scenario," Plotnitsky wrote in an open letter to Poroshenko. "Let's (following the example of the ancient Slavic leaders and glorious Cossack chieftains) get together in a fight: whoever wins will dictate terms to the opposite side." Plotnitsky's "terms" are multiple, among them an immediate cessation of all hostilities; withdrawal of all legal, semi-legal and illegal armed groups of Ukraine beyond the administrative boundaries of Lugansk and Donetsk Regions; the start of peace negotiations between Ukraine on one side and the LPR and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on the other. "For the fight to be fair, each party has a right to engage 10 observers-seconds and 10 mass media representatives," Plotnitsky informed, adding that he doesn't mind a live broadcast on any TV channel, gallantly leaving the choice of location for the fight and choice of weapons up to the billionaire chocolate baron-turned-president. "Why stir up mutual hatred and destroy people, cities, economy? You and I will have to heal these wounds for decades! Isn't it better to end all disagreements in a fair fight?" Plotnitsky wondered. "God will judge and will not tolerate unjust victory", he stated.

Comment: What Plotnisky offers makes a lot of sense but Poroshenko knows he cannot win. Back in the day there was a time where military leaders physically led the armies into battle. Now the gutless psychopaths let others do their bidding.

Ukrainian Economics in 1 Minute Pepe Escobar Russia Insider 2014-11-19 16:25:00 Kiev's foreign reserves plunged last month by a whopping 23.2 per cent to a paltry $12.6 billion. By the end of the year it will be even messier. Kiev's gotta pay a $3.1 billion gas bill to Gazprom, or else... The central bank will have to sell more foreign currency to support the hryvnia. And there are MORE hefty gas bills as General Winter advances. Is the austerity-devastated EU lending them at least one euro? Of course not. It's up to the IMF, who now OWNS Ukraine. Yet there will only be "emergency funding" if Kiev applies that good ol' "structural adjustment" - as in turning the overwhelming mass of Ukrainians into beggars for life. These are the facts. The rest is rubbish.

Syrian crisis, geopolitics, false flag terror and the nature of ISIS - Interview with Mimi al-Laham (aka Syrian Girl) Brandon Turbeville brandonturbeville.com 2014-11-18 09:44:00 Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville - November 18, 2014 Brandon inteviews Mimi al-Laham (aka Syrian Girl). Brandon and Mimi discuss the Syrian crisis, Geopolitics, false flag terror, the nature of ISIS, what to expect in the future and much more.

Comment: Interesting interview between two analysts who have been providing objective coverage of the situation in the Middle East.

Eric Draitser: U.S. fomenting war in Syria Press TV 2014-11-15 09:17:00 The US strategy of fomenting war in Syria by arming militants there will exacerbate tensions in the Middle East, says Eric Draitser. The US strategy to continue "fomenting war" in Syria by arming militants there will "exacerbate tensions" in the Middle East and expand the US wars throughout the region, a geopolitical analyst in New York says. "The United States is already at war in Iraq, the United States is at war in Syria, the US proxies of ISIS are at war against Hezbollah trying to expand the war into Lebanon," Eric Draitser, the founder of StopImperialism.com said, using another acronym for the ISIL terrorist group. The main objective of Washington in stirring unrest in the region is for the "purposes of advancing a hegemonic agenda," Draitser told Press TV on Saturday. "The notion that the United States is fighting a war against ISIS is in and of itself a fraud," he said. "This is sternly the corollary aspect to the larger mission to depose [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, to institute regime change in Syria and deprive Iran of its primary strategic ally in the region, (and) to move towards a US/UK/NATO/Israeli hegemony in the region that breaks the axis of resistance from Tehran, Iraq, Syria, and Hezbollah," he continued. Comment: GRTV Documentary - ISIL and its So-Called Caliphate: Israeli-US Tools to Divide Iraq The US military cannot go into any country that it desires for regime change. This is why Washington has applied other techniques for regime change. In 2006, with the failure of the US to break the Resistance Bloc or Axis of Resistance in the Middle East, the US began its "redirection" policy and opted to use insurgencies, sectarianism, colour revolutions, and intensified covert operations. The Washington Post reports that the United States is preparing plans to escalate the CIA's role in arming and training anti-government militants in Syria. Officials say the move is aimed at accelerating covert US support to "moderate" militant groups, while the Pentagon is preparing to establish its own training bases, the report said.

Comment: Related video that reveals the AngloZionist plans for the Middle East that are currently unfolding.

Count 'em! Twenty-six things about the Islamic State (ISIL) that the U.S. gov't would rather you don't know Prof Michel Chossudovsky Global Research 2014-11-17 00:00:00 The US led war against the Islamic State is a big lie. Going after " Islamic terrorists", carrying out a worldwide pre-emptive war to "Protect the American Homeland" are used to justify a military agenda. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a creation of US intelligence. Washington's "Counter-terrorism Agenda" in Iraq and Syria consists in Supporting the Terrorists. The incursion of the Islamic State (IS) brigades into Iraq starting in June 2014 was part of a carefully planned military-intelligence operation supported covertly by the US, NATO and Israel. The counter-terrorism mandate is a fiction. America is the Number One "State Sponsor of Terrorism"  The Islamic State is protected by the US and its allies. If they had wanted to eliminate the Islamic State brigades, they could have "carpet" bombed their convoys of Toyota pickup trucks when they crossed the desert from Syria into Iraq in June.

Comment: So, the next time you see a well filmed and edited video on the web of ISIL (however horrifyingly) beheading Syrian soldiers or American peace-keepers; or the next time you read about an act of terrorism (however horrifyingly) committed in the heart of a Western town or city; or the next time you hear about 'jihadists' of any stripe (however horrifyingly) striking the government or innocents in any nation in the world - know that behind them is a cabal of psychopaths based in the U.S., Israel, Great Britain, and Saudi Arabia who are writing the scripts and directing those scenes in order, ultimately, to capture YOU: mind, body and soul.

Society's Child

Happy World Toilet Day! 2.5 billion people in the world have no cause for celebration Samuel Oakford Vice 2014-11-19 04:20:00 An estimated 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation around the world, and more than a billion defecate openly. Some 4 billion cases of diarrhea each year lead to more than 2 million deaths, mainly among children. That's more than AIDS and malaria combined. In India, where 550 million people practice open defecation, 45 percent of children are stunted. The culprit in most cases is poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water. Studies show that lack of toilets and the resulting spread of disease is literally making Indian children shorter.

Comment: And why is there such a lack of basic sanitation for billions of people around the world? Look to your psychopathic leaders, corrupt World Bank and IMF who seem to like nothing more than to keep people subjugated and drowning in poverty.

Bus carrying Niagara University women's basketball team stranded during Buffalo snowstorm ABC News 2014-11-19 21:59:00 Residents in upstate New York remain trapped inside their homes, with motorists stranded as a deadly snowstorm continues to dump snow across the region. A lake-effect snow warning has been issued for the rest of the week in Erie County, and the New York National Guard was deployed to help the Buffalo area dig out. The storm is blamed for the deaths of at least six people. Three of the people who died in the storm suffered heart attacks, and two of those were shoveling snow at the time, officials said. Another person in Erie County was pinned by a car while trying to push it out of the snow, while another was found buried in his car, authorities said at a news conference today. In Genesee County, an employee died while operating a snowblower, authorities said. Dozens of vehicles, including a bus carrying the Niagara University women's basketball team, were stranded, and even snow plows got stuck in the deep snow. "It started to get bad fast at about 2 a.m. [Tuesday morning] and we came to a dead stop and haven't moved since," Niagara coach Kendra Faustin told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday night. "It was a rough weekend for us on the court and it just won't end."

Fire chief refuses to help black family stranded after accident: 'We ain't taking no n*ggers here' David Edwards Raw Story 2014-11-19 21:52:00 A Kentucky fire chief is being criticized for racist comments after he refused to help a family of stranded motorists because they were black, and then suggested that an Asian-American television reporter did not understand English. In a Bullitt County Sheriff's deputy's body camera recording obtained by WDRB, Southeast Bullitt County Fire Chief Julius Hatfield can be heard discussing a car accident on I-65 in September. Hatfield first goes out of his way to provide assistance to Loren Dicken, who is white. "You got a jack, ain't you?" Hatfield asks the driver. "If you show me where them things is at, I'll get my guys to start changing the tire for you." At first, Dicken turns down the offer, but Hatfield insists, saying, "It will save you a bill." Firefighters working for Hatfield even picked Dicken up from the hospital and took him back to the firehouse, where his car was ready and waiting.

Elementary school teacher arrested for sending "sexual" photos to student WZVN 2014-11-19 21:47:00 A Lee County elementary school teacher is charged with Cruelty Towards a Child/Transmitting information harmful to minors, according to the sheriff's office. Tara Milton Roberts, 28, taught at River Hall Elementary School in Alva and is at the Lee County Jail being held without bond. She was arrested for sending photographs of herself scantily clad to a student through the KIK application, according to LCSO.  The messages started off as friendly but soon turned into more sexual in nature - the student knew it was Tara Roberts because he recognized her white iPhone, according to the sheriff's office. The school district confirmed Roberts taught 5th grade, but the victim was not a student in her class. According to the investigation, Roberts told the student not to tell anyone because she would get in trouble. According to a Lee County School District spokesperson, Roberts was in her first year of teaching and was on probationary status. She will not be returning to the district. River Hall parents were notified of the arrest around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday - and a substitute teacher will be working with the 5th grade team until a qualified teacher can be placed. Parents were also told the incident involved one student and the use of social media. At her first appearance Wednesday morning, Roberts only said a few words. She is being held on a $20,000 bond and can have no unsupervised contact with minors.

Citigroup banker found dead in bathtub with his throat slit Kevin Dugan, Erin Calabrese and Beckie Strum New York Post 2014-11-19 05:30:00 A Citigroup banker was found dead with his throat slashed in the bathtub of his swanky downtown apartment, authorities said Wednesday. Shawn D. Miller, Citigroup's managing director of environmental and social risk management, was discovered around 3 p.m. Tuesday by a doorman in the Greenwich Street building, law enforcement sources said. "We are deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with Shawn's family at this time," said a statement sent out by Citigroup.

Comment: Do all these dead bankers know something that we don't? For more on the preponderance of murdered and suicided bankers see: One more banker down: Liechtenstein CEO murdered in underground garage JP Morgan executive becomes 5th banker to die in last 2 weeks 4th Financial Services Executive found dead; "From self-inflicted nail-gun wounds" Young banker's suicide becomes twelfth in financial world this year

'Anti-offshore' law to bring billions back to Russian economy RT.com 2014-11-19 21:15:00 Russia's upper house of parliament has approved an "anti-offshore" law requiring individual and corporate taxpayers to report foreign profits. The Russian government aims to prevent capital outflow via "offshores," estimated at $200 billion in 2014. The law requires Russian tax authorities to be notified of all foreign dealings. The government believes it will return $3.1-4.2 billion in tax revenue to the Russian state budget. Any Russian individual or company that owns 50 percent or more of an offshore asset will have to declare profits to the tax authorities. Over time, the allowable share of ownership will decrease - in 2016 to 25 percent, and on an individual basis to 10 percent. According to some experts, over $2 trillion has flowed offshore out of Russian jurisdiction in recent years, TASS reports. Even the most moderate estimates put the figure at between $800 million and $1 trillion.

Ebola can possibly be sexually transmitted: India isolates man with Ebola-infected semen Harmeet Shah Singh CNN 2014-11-19 18:30:00 An Ebola survivor has been quarantined in India after his semen tested positive for the virus, health officials there have announced. The 26-year-old man, an Indian national, traveled to New Delhi from Liberia on November 10, almost two months after he was hospitalized in the West African nation after showing symptoms of the illness, India's health ministry said in a statement. He was released from the Liberian hospital on September 30 with documents declaring him free of clinical signs linked to Ebola, the ministry added. As a precautionary measure, Indian authorities carried out tests on his body fluids, which confirmed traces of the virus in his semen, the statement said. "Currently, this person is not having any symptoms of the disease. However, he would be kept under isolation in the special health facility of (the) Delhi Airport Health Organization, till such time his body fluids test negative and he is found medically fit to be discharged," it said.

London school warns students about female genital mutilation, forced marriage Jenny McCall Al Arabiya News 2014-11-18 09:01:00 This article has disturbing text, photo and video. It will turn your stomach (and it should). A school in the East end of London has started teaching young people on the prevention of female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. "Education to young people on female genital mutilation and forced marriage is hugely important and invaluable. It is not just about legalization and having laws it's about prevention and getting to children as young as possible and explaining to them that this could happen to you," Arifa Nasim, educator and campaigner against forced marriage, told Al Arabiya News. This week marked the start of a series of talks to young children at Frederick Bremer School in London on FGM and forced marriage. Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons." FGM is practiced in many countries across the globe and is practiced by some Arab, South-East Asian and African communities. The WHO have separated FGM into three categories; category one is the most common, the clitoris is held between the thumb and index finger, pulled and amputated with a blade. Category two the clitoris is removed but the vaginal lips may also be partially or totally removed. Category one and two are the most common types of FGM. The final category, category three is the most extensive; it involves complete removal of the clitoris, vaginal lips, also the two rounded outer folds that lie on either side of the vaginal opening are removed. The consequences of FGM are huge, causing a life time of infection, pain and potential death to those who have it. The Home Office, said that there are 66,000 women in the UK who have had FGM and 24,000 young girls at risk. With primary and secondary school children being most at risk of being sent abroad by their parents to "be cut" the aim of many campaigners and activist is to educate as many teachers and children on the dangers of FGM and how to spot a child who may be at risk.

Comment: Some facts: An estimated 140 million girls and women now alive have undergone the mutilating procedure in 28 African countries, as well as in Yemen, Iraq, Malaysia, Indonesia and among certain ethnic groups in South America and some immigrant communities in the West. About 3 million girls in Africa are said to be forced to undergo the procedure each year. This happens to young girls all over the world. Even if the country they live in has outlawed it, they are flown to a country that allows it and the procedure is done without their consent. FGM is not on par with circumcision. It would be on par with a penectomy (total penis removal). Sweden was the first Western country to outlaw FGM in 1982, followed in 1985 by the UK. In theUnited States it became illegal in 1997. THIS IS APPALLING!!! How many centuries has this been going on? Where is the public outrage?!!! (Hint: It is in the young girls who have no recourse other than to submit to this butchery and be ruined for life.) It is only relatively recently that FGM has been recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The WHO issued a joint statement with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) against the practice. FGM is a crime in many countries now. Although not legally binding, the UN resolution carries considerable moral and political weight. Oh WOW. Statements and resolutions. Now there is decisive action!  And, where is the legal system on this "crime? "Not a single person has been convicted for FGM in Britain. The first landmark trial of an FGM case of two men, including a doctor from London, will take place in January 2015. The doctor is being accused of carrying out the procedure on a woman after she gave birth in November 2012. And the next 3+ million girls are on the chopping block... International Alert: NOT ENOUGH IS BEING DONE.

Insanity: Owner of pit bulls who broke into neighbors yard and killed her dog, sues the victim Shannon Daughtry Galveston County Daily News 2014-11-19 00:00:00 A woman whose four pit bulls attacked and killed a family's 10-year-old beagle in October is now suing the deceased dog's owner for up to $1 million in damages, according to court documents. "I couldn't believe it," said Steve Baker, Bailey's owner. "Everyone was telling me to sue her, but I decided not to because it won't bring Bailey back." Justice had already been served since the tragedy, he said. "The police took the action I wanted and declared those dogs dangerous and awareness was raised; so I decided to let it go," Baker said. "Now they're suing me for $1 million - I just can't believe it." Getting served with a lawsuit was a complete shock, he said. Baker and his wife were served Wednesday with the lawsuit, filed in the 405th District Court, at their home, the same place where their dog was "shaken like a rag doll" by their neighbor's four pitbulls Oct. 27. According to court documents, Baker's neighbor and the plaintiff in the case, Emerald White, claims she was "seriously injured" after she was "unexpectedly and viciously attacked" when she entered the Baker's backyard to retrieve her dogs, which had entered through a hole in the mutual fence separating the two properties.

Comment: There are people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions, but blaming the victims of your own irresponsibility is nothing short of sociopathic. Considering the number of deadly attacks by pit bulls, it almost seems that owning one is an aggressive act in itself. At least, if you own one, you should be prepared for the consequences.

Pew Research: India 4th largest source of illegal migrants in US The BRICS Report 2014-11-19 17:37:00 Even as the US debates immigration reform, a new report says four per cent of the total illegal immigrants living in the US are Indians. The figures of illegal immigrants in the United States has remained unchanged since 2009 at 11.2 million, says a new report by Pew Research. India is 4th in the top five source countries of unauthorized immigrants to the US since 2005. Reuters, on Wednesday, quoted a White House source as saying US President Barack Obama is poised to give relief from deportation to millions of undocumented immigrants who are parents of US citizens or of permanent legal residents. More than 450,000 "unauthorized" Indian immigrants were living in the US, constituting four per cent of the total illegal immigrants in the country in the year 2012. Obama has said earlier this year that he would like to improve the US legal immigration system in a way that "makes this underground migration system less necessary." He has had a showdown with Republicans in Congress who have refused to pass legislation that would aid in fixing immigration problems. Indian are the largest unauthorised immigrants in New Hampshire, says the Pew report. While the Indian illegal immigrants comprise second largest population in Indiana with four per cent, the percentages in other states were Michigan (14 per cent), Minnesota (nine per cent), New Jersey (11 per cent), Ohio (11 per cent), Pennsylvania (11 per cent) and Washington (five per cent), the report said. Indians were the third largest unauthorised immigrants in Alaska (four per cent), Arizona (two per cent), Delaware (seven per cent), Illinois (five per cent), Kansas (five per cent), Massachusetts (ten per cent), Missouri (nine per cent)and Oregon (two per cent). Although the US population of unauthorised immigrants was stable from 2009 to 2012, the number of Mexicans in this population fell by about half a million people during those years. Unauthorised immigrant populations from South America and from a grouping of Europe and Canada held steady between 2009 and 2012, whereas it grew slightly from Asia, the Caribbean, Central America and the rest of the world for the same period. The top five source countries of unauthorized immigrants to the US are Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, India and Honduras.

Comment: If the research shows no real increase in illegal immigration into the US, why is there so much attention to it lately? Is it just to keep Americans divided and not paying attention to real human values?

America's shameless "Justice" Department - The story of the Creech 14 and the ponerization of the law Brian Terrell Voices for Creative Nonviolence 2014-11-18 16:54:00 Comment: This is one case of many highlighting America's culture of corruption and lies. One critical result of believing all of these lies? Well, as Pierre Lescaudron writes in "Earth Changes: The Human-Cosmic Connection": False information doesn't exhibit internal consistency; the individual pieces are incompatible; they don't 'resonate' with each other, they partly cancel each other, and they hinder access to any higher level of order (the law of mathematical addition). Political language can be used, George Orwell said in 1946, "to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." In order to justify its global assassination program, the Obama administration has had to stretch words beyond their natural breaking points. For instance, any male 14 years or older found dead in a drone strike zone is a "combatant" unless there is explicit intelligence posthumously proving him innocent. We are also informed that the constitutional guarantee of "due process" does not imply that the government must precede an execution with a trial. I think the one word most degraded and twisted these days, to the goriest ends, is the word "imminent." Just what constitutes an "imminent" threat? Our government has long taken bold advantage of the American public's willingness to support lavish spending on armaments and to accept civilian casualties in military adventures abroad and depletion of domestic programs at home, when told these are necessary responses to deflect precisely such threats. The government has vastly expanded the meaning of the word "imminent." This new definition is crucial to the U.S. drone program, designed for projecting lethal force throughout the world. It provides a legal and moral pretext for the annihilation of people far away who pose no real threat to us at all.

Comment: Also see: Historical Cycles - Are we doomed to repeat the past? Political Ponerology: A Science on The Nature of Evil adjusted for Political Purposes

Model and TV host Janice Dickinson joins list of women accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault Dallas Morning News 2014-11-19 04:33:00 Model and TV host Janice Dickinson is adding her name to the women who have accused comic Bill Cosby of sexual assault. In an Entertainment Tonight interview that aired Tuesday, Dickinson said that the 1982 incident occurred in Lake Tahoe, Calif., where he was performing. Dickinson said that she wrote about the assault in her 2002 autobiography, but that Cosby and his lawyers pressured her and the publisher to remove the details. She said her new account is a "true story." The 77-year-old Cosby, who was never criminally charged in any case, settled a civil suit in 2006 with another woman who claimed she was assaulted. Cosby, who has remained silent, did not respond to a request for comment. His lawyer has called the renewed accusations "discredited." Source: The Associated Press

Comment: Bill Cosby's 'Spanish Fly" routine is rather telling considering the numerous allegationsthat he drugged and raped several women since the 1970's.

Married same-sex couples refused housing by Christian homeless shelter Scott Kaufman Raw Story 2014-11-17 04:21:00 The City Union Mission in Kansas City announced that even if same-sex marriage becomes legal in both Missouri and Kansas, it would not allow same-sex couples to cohabit in its family shelter, theKansas City Star reports. "We are a Christian, faith-based organization that really does adhere to biblical standards," executive director Dan Doty told the Star. "Our view is that it [same-sex marriage] is inappropriate. Our intent is not to shelter same-sex couples together." Doty acknowledged that he "knew this day would come, especially when the media would begin asking that question," and that he hopes the public understands "the can of worms this could open." "Probably for the last three or four years this is something we have been concerned about, praying about, our board has been involved in," Doty said. "We had an October board retreat where this was a very serious topic to talk about." However, he added, the shelter wants "to stay true to our biblical convictions, yet we do love all people. We do shelter men who are gay, and lesbian women, and transgender people, although if their birth gender is male, we require them to dress that way if they are in our men's shelter." ThinkProgress noted that the City Union Mission does not receive any funding from the government, and is therefore not subject to city, state, or federal anti-discrimination ordinances. Other groups, like the Salvation Army and the Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, said that they do not discriminate against anyone seeking their services, because their mission is to help the homeless. "Our values are Catholic, but the people who come to us aren't necessarily Catholic, and we don't ask them to affirm our beliefs," Catholic Charities' communications manager Vicki Timiney said.

China: Evil aunt cuts 3-year-old nephew's penis off for bursting in on her in the bathroom Damien Gayle Daily Mail, UK 2014-11-17 12:08:00 Qiang Qiang interrupted his aunt Xue Paan as she was texting her beau She stormed into the kitchen, picked up a knife, and hacked off his penis Doctors were able to re-attach the appendage in emergency procedure But knife was blunt and cut was not clean so he needs more treatment A cruel aunt faces jail after she cut off her three-year-old nephew's penis because he burst in on her in the loo and asked to use her phone. Xue Paan, 37, attacked her nephew Qiang Qiang as she was supposed to be looking after him while his mother went to visit a neighbour in Luohe, a city in Henan Province, central China. Xue was sitting on the toilet sending text messages to her boyfriend when the toddler walked in and asked if he could play a game on her mobile phone. Instead of giving him the phone, the aunt went into the kitchen, picked up a knife, then came back and sliced off the boy's penis. She fled the house before his mother could return. Qiang Qiang's mother Cai Tuan, 27, said: 'I had popped out to see a neighbour and was only gone 30 minutes when I heard Qiang Qiang scream. Qiang Qiang had fainted and was lying in a pool of blood. Next to him was a knife and his penis. It was horrific. 'I ran back to the house and couldn't believe what I saw. 'Qiang Qiang had fainted and was lying in a pool of blood. 'Next to him was a knife and his penis. 'It was simply horrific. 'My sister, his aunt, had gone.' Qiang Qiang was rushed to hospital where surgeons managed to reattach his appendage and was then sent to a specialist clinic in the capital Beijing. A hospital spokesman said: 'Unfortunately, the knife was quite blunt and the cut wasn't clean so although we reattached the boy's penis, it wasn't ideal and he had to have further treatment. 'However, he has now had three surgeries all of which have been successful and we are confident that his penis will be perfectly OK again in three months.'

Most female execs worldwide? Russia tops the list, U.S. falls below avg Katie Gonzalez Elite Daily 2014-11-19 04:16:00 There's certainly a lot of talk about female leaders going on. But perhaps the most unexpected news about women CEOs today isn't about how much these women make, but rather where they work. In Grant Thornton's newly released International Business Report, the accounting firm surveyed about 6,600 private companies in 45 countries to determine where the most women are in senior management positions. The results were unexpected. The places topping the list with the most females in charge are countries like Russia, Indonesia, Latvia and the Philippines, where women comprised over 40 percent of those in senior-level positions. Russia takes home the gold for the highest proportion of women in these high-level job titles, with 43 percent. Japan lags in last with an embarrassing nine percent. The United States ranked towards the bottom of the list with just 22 percent of women in senior management, which also falls below the dismal global average of 24 percent.

Comment: One more thing Russia is doing right. As usual, the U.S. is a pretty dismal failure.

Secret History

Vases in Pompeii reveal panic before eruption Rossella Lorenzi Discovery News 2014-11-17 19:58:00 French and Italian archaeologists digging out a pottery workshop in Pompeii have brought to light 10 raw clay vases, revealing a frozen-in-time picture of the exact moment panicked potters realized they were facing an impending catastrophe. The vases were found sealed under a layer of ash and pumice from Mount Vesuvius' devastating eruption of 79 A.D. and it appears they were just ready to be fired. They were dropped and abandoned, along with the kilns, after frightened potters saw a pine tree-shaped column of smoke bursting from Vesuvius on Aug. 24, 79 A.D. Reaching nine miles into the sky, the column began spewing a thick pumice rain. Like many Pompeii residents, the scared potters probably rushed in the streets, trying to leave the city.

Ancient New Zealand "Dawn Whale" identified Phys.org 2014-11-18 23:00:00 University of Otago palaeontologists are rewriting the history of New Zealand's ancient whales by describing a previously unknown genus of fossil baleen whales and two species within it. Otago Department of Geology PhD student Robert Boessenecker and his supervisor Professor Ewan Fordyce have named the new genus Tohoraata, which translates as "Dawn Whale" in Māori. The two whales, which lived between 27-25 million years ago, were preserved in a rock formation near Duntroon in North Otago. At that time the continent of Zealandia was largely or completely under water and the whales were deposited on a continental shelf that was perhaps between 50 to 100 metres deep. The new genus that the fossils represent belongs to the toothless filter-feeding family Eomysticetidae, and it is the first time members of this family have been identified in the Southern Hemisphere.

New research suggests Neanderthals were a distinct species - not a subspecies of modern humans phys.org 2014-11-18 11:23:00 In an extensive, multi-institution study led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center, researchers have identified new evidence supporting the growing belief that Neanderthals were a distinct species separate from modern humans (Homo sapiens), and not a subspecies of modern humans. The study looked at the entire nasal complex of Neanderthals and involved researchers with diverse academic backgrounds. Supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, the research also indicates that the Neanderthal nasal complex was not adaptively inferior to that of modern humans, and that the Neanderthals' extinction was likely due to competition from modern humans and not an inability of the Neanderthal nose to process a colder and drier climate. Samuel Márquez, PhD, associate professor and co-discipline director of gross anatomy in SUNY Downstate's Department of Cell Biology, and his team of specialists published their findings on the Neanderthal nasal complex in the November issue of The Anatomical Record, which is part of a special issue on The Vertebrate Nose: Evolution, Structure, and Function (now online). They argue that studies of the Neanderthal nose, which have spanned over a century and a half, have been approaching this anatomical enigma from the wrong perspective. Previous work has compared Neanderthal nasal dimensions to modern human populations such as the Inuit and modern Europeans, whose nasal complexes are adapted to cold and temperate climates. However, the current study joins a growing body of evidence that the upper respiratory tracts of this extinct group functioned via a different set of rules as a result of a separate evolutionary history and overall cranial bauplan (bodyplan), resulting in a mosaic of features not found among any population of Homo sapiens. Thus Dr. Márquez and his team of paleoanthropologists, comparative anatomists, and an otolaryngologist have contributed to the understanding of two of the most controversial topics in paleoanthropology - were Neanderthals a different species from modern humans and which aspects of their cranial morphology evolved as adaptations to cold stress. "The strategy was to have a comprehensive examination of the nasal region of diverse modern human population groups and then compare the data with the fossil evidence. We used traditional morphometrics, geometric morphometric methodology based on 3D coordinate data, and CT imaging," Dr. Márquez explained.

Science & Technology

Many older brains have plasticity, but in a different place NeuroScientistNews 2014-11-19 21:15:00 Brain scientists have long believed that older people have less of the neural flexibility (plasticity) required to learn new things. A new study shows that older people learned a visual task just as well as younger ones, but the seniors who showed a strong degree of learning exhibited plasticity in a different part of the brain than younger learners did. A widely presumed problem of aging is that the brain becomes less flexible -- less plastic -- and that learning may therefore become more difficult. A new study led by Brown University researchers contradicts that notion with a finding that plasticity did occur in seniors who learned a task well, but it occurred in a different part of the brain than in younger people. When many older subjects learned a new visual task, the researchers found, they unexpectedly showed a significantly associated change in the white matter of the brain. White matter is the the brain's "wiring," or axons, sheathed in a material called myelin that can make transmission of signals more efficient. Younger learners, meanwhile, showed plasticity in the cortex, where neuroscientists expected to see it. "We think that the degree of plasticity in the cortex gets more and more limited with older people," said Takeo Watanabe, the Fred M. Seed Professor at Brown University and a co-author of the study published in Nature Communications. "However, they keep the ability to learn, visually at least, by changing white matter structure."

Philae lander discovers organic molecules on Comet 67P RT 2014-11-19 21:18:00 The Philae lander has managed to discover carbon-based organic molecules on a Comet 67P some 500 million kilometers from Earth before going into hibernation mode to preserve remaining power after extensive drilling on the surface and a rough landing. "COSAC was able to 'sniff' the atmosphere and detect the first organic molecules after landing. Analysis of the spectra and the identification of the molecules are continuing," the German Aerospace Center (DLR) confirmed in a statement. European Space Agency scientists are still interpreting the data the lander sent back after a 57-hour mission on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Before its primary battery died out, Philae was able to explore the comet using its 10 devices as the "mini laboratory sniffed the atmosphere, drilled, hammered and studied," DLR said. "We have collected a great deal of valuable data, which could only have been acquired through direct contact with the comet. Together with the measurements performed by the Rosetta orbiter, we are well on our way to achieving a greater understanding of comets. Their surface properties appear to be quite different than was previously thought," DLR's director for the project, Ekkehard Kührt said. While @Philae2014 takes time out to rest after #CometLanding I've still got a lot of this to do at #67P: http://t.co/CV9Ysfow32 - ESA Rosetta Mission (@ESA_Rosetta) November 15, 2014 The European Space Agency (ESA) team found that the surface of the comet is "hard as ice," which made it difficult for the lander to dig into the surface especially after a harsh landing. The drilling has been dubbed a 'tough nut to crack'.

Russian and Chinese telecom giants to jointly develop 5G network Sputnik 2014-11-19 21:20:00 Russia's largest mobile phone operator MegaFon and Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei have agreed to develop and implement 5G standards in Russia, MegaFon said on its official website Wednesday. "The partners agreed to cooperate closely to create and accelerated [rapidly] roll out 5G next generation communications standard networks in Russia," said the Russian company's statement, which followed a memorandum of understanding signed between the parties in Shanghai. According to MegaFon's press release, 5G technology is expected to contribute to the efficiency of network infrastructure in Russia and will meet the demand for increased data traffic. The new standard is expected to be introduced in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2018 hosted by Russia. "The 2018 FIFA World Cup provides a unique platform in wireless history to demonstrate Huawei's leadership in 5G development. As always, I am delighted we once again join hands with MegaFon, the most promising and innovative carrier in Russia," President of Huawei Products and Solutions Ryan Ding said. The president added that the Russian-Chinese project will run ahead of the planned 5G introduction goal set for 2020 by the global telecommunication industry. The 5G project will become another example of cooperation between Chinese and Russian telecommunication companies on new technologies. At the beginning of 2014, MegaFon launched the world's first commercial LTE Advanced network using Huawei infrastructure and subscriber equipment.

Comment: Hopefully these new standards will improve safety for human use.

Russian experiment confirms meteorite may have brought life to Earth RT.com 2014-11-19 21:18:00 Russian scientists experimentally confirmed a possibility that life might have been brought to Earth from space, traveling 'on board' a meteorite. Using a satellite, scientists proved bacteria can survive landing through our planet's dense atmosphere. Samples of various bacteria were placed by Russian scientists on the surface of Russia's Foton-M4 satellite, which was launched into space earlier this year and returned to Earth after spending some six weeks in orbit. The Foton was dubbed a "sex satellite," as it contained a bio capsule with various organisms, such as geckos, fruit flies and plant seeds, aimed at testing how space conditions affect fertility and reproduction. "We've managed to show that one of our termophilic bacteria can survive atop a meteorite surface while passing through Earth's dense atmosphere," Aleksandr Slobodkin, a researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' microbiology institute told a space biology conference in Moscow, Tass reported. The experiment was conducted with the use of two basalt discs, each four inches in diameter and 0.4 inches thick, which contained holes filled with samples of various bacteria, and was placed on the satellite's surface, Slobodkin said.

New study claims self-directed brain training exercises are a waste of time, trained supervision more effective Ben Spencer Mail Online 2014-11-19 17:20:00 Brain training computer games designed to boost the mental ability of elderly people are a waste of time and money, scientists have warned. Companies which make handheld gadgets and games consoles have created a £640million global industry aimed at baby boomers entering their twilight years. They claim to stimulate the brain, improve cognition and boost memory - and have in recent years been advertised by actors such as Nicole Kidman and Julie Walters. Previous research has even suggested that engaging in challenging mental activities can lower the risk of dementia. But a University of Sydney study published last night found that self-directed brain training conducted at home had no beneficial effect.

Earth Changes

Wild boar viciously attacks woman walking with dogs in Gordon Valley, California Rowena Shaddox fox40.com 2014-11-19 18:55:00 A wild boar allegedly gored a woman several times as she was walking with her dogs. The woman is still being treated for her injuries. She was walking her two dogs in the Gordon Valley area last week, when the boar attacked for apparently no reason. "It come from behind and just knocked her down. And she kinda yelled and screamed,"Linda Bushey, who is neighbors with the woman, said. After the initial attack, the woman thought the wild animal was leaving and tried to stand up. But the boar came back at her.

Buffalo swallowed by wall of snow as it gets 6 feet, with more to come, and six people reported dead Jesus Diaz Sploid 2014-11-18 17:49:00 A wall of snow has swallowed Buffalo, New York, this morning. NOAA meteorologists say it's a heavy snow lake effect. Check out the videos, plus the aerial photos (like the above posted byWBEN NewsRadio's Facebook) and satellite images. Good luck everyone. Updating with photos and video...

Hippopotamus kills 13 people, including 12 children in Niger australiaplus.com 2014-11-20 18:10:00 Twelve children and a villager have been killed in a hippopotamus attack on a boat near the Niger capital Niamey earlier this week, officials say. Twelve children and a villager have been killed in a hippopotamus attack on a boat near Niger's capital Niamey earlier this week, officials say. The students, aged 12 to 13, died when their boat transporting them across the Niger River was flipped by the hippopotamus on Monday. A number of students in the West African nation take such boats to attend school on the other side of the river. "Ultimately it was 12 students, including seven girls and five boys, who died after the attack," minister of secondary education Aichatou Oumani said.

Keeper at UK's Whipsnade Zoo trampled by rhino Rob Waugh Metro.co.uk 2014-11-19 14:18:00 A zookeeper has suffered serious injuries when he was trampled by a rhino at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire this morning. The keeper was tramped by the beast as he tended to a rhino and her calf early this morning. It's not clear what caused the animal to attack. The man, who is in his 50s, suffered chest, abdomen and pelvis injuries after the animal attacked inside its enclosure. He was helped out of the water by zoo staff, and was taken by ambulance to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in a serious but stable condition. He was given pain relief at the scene for his injuries

Comment: Zoo animals often exhibit strange behaviors due to humans forcing them to live in unnatural habitats, and the suffering that ensues is on display most starkly there. However animals throughout the world have been acting strange and aggressive, and there have been increases in family pets attacking their owners often without provocation. Are animals reflecting the increasingly odd behaviors in the human population?

Floods kill 3 in Albania, over 5 inches of rainfall in 2 hours abcnews.go.com 2014-11-19 16:56:00 Flooding in Albania has killed three people, after torrential rain caused power and water supply cuts in the western part of the country, authorities said Wednesday. A 60-year-old man and his 26-year old daughter were found dead after their car was swept away by floodwaters in Lac, northwest of the capital, Tirana, late Tuesday. A 21-year-old motorcycle driver was also found dead in Lac, while his teenage passenger was rescued. The heavy rainfall also flooded the main streets and buildings in Tirana and the western port city of Durres. The government said the army was on standby to help emergency service workers with evacuation efforts, as more heavy rain was expected. Agriculture Minister Edmond Planarity said the storm dumped 130 millimeters (5.1 inches) of rain in two hours overnight on the Lac and nearby Lezhe districts, causing power outages and flooding homes in those areas. Source: AP

Virus devastating sea stars along Pacific Coast identified sciencedaily.com 2014-11-17 16:22:00 Scientists have now explained the mysteriously sudden appearance of a disease that has decimated sea stars on the North American Pacific Coast. Museum biological collections are the records of life on Earth and as such, they are frequently used to investigate serious environmental issues. When public health officials were concerned about the levels of mercury in fish and birds, for example, scientists studied museum specimens to assess historical changes in mercury contamination. Eggs in museum collections were analyzed to establish the connection between DDT, thinning eggshells, and the decline in bird populations. And now, specimens from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) have helped explain the mysteriously sudden appearance of a disease that has decimated sea stars on the North American Pacific Coast.

Comment: See also: 'Unprecedented' sea star disease epidemic on Oregon coast

Hundreds of seals die of avian flu on Germany coast Brigitte Osterath dw.de 2014-10-27 15:58:00 Hundreds of dead seals have been washing up on Germany's North Sea coast since the beginning of October. Researchers have now found the cause of death: the avian flu virus.  Since early October, 609 dead or dying seals have been found on the coasts of the German North Sea islands of Sylt, Heligoland, Amrum and Föhr. "That is more than we normally find," Hendrik Brunckhorst tells DW. Brunckhorst is a biologist and spokesman for the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, a favorite habitat for the seals. Typically, according to Brunckhorst, one to two thousand seals wash ashore in this part of Germany every year. Six hundred in less than a month, therefore, is indeed an "increased death rate." The number of unreported cases is far higher, since only a percentage of the dead animals are actually found: Most of them are lost in the oceans.

Comment: See also: An avian flu that jumps from birds to mammals is killing New England's baby seals 10 fold increase in seal deaths reported this year off Swedish coast

Record breaking cold weather blankets U.S. - 85% surface area at or below freezing Dr. Ryan Maue Weatherbell.com 2014-11-19 03:18:00 Tuesday morning, America 'as a whole' awoke to the coldest it has been in November since 1976 -- 38 years ago. The Lower-48 or CONUS spatially average temperature plummeted overnight to only 19.4°F typical of mid-winter not November 18th! Data An astounding 226-million Americans will experience at or below freezing temperatures (32°F) on Tuesday as well -- if you venture outdoors. More than 85% of the surface area of the Lower-48 reached or fell below freezing Tuesday morning.All 50-states saw at or below freezing temperatures on Tuesday.  Record lows from Idaho to Nebraska and Iowa south to Texas and east through the Great Lakes, the eastern 2/3 of the US will shatter decades-long and in some cases, century-long records. Temperatures east of the Rockies will be 20-40°F below climate normals. Compared to normal, temperatures over the past several days have dropped off a cliff -- to 10°C below climate normal -- more anomalous than even during the polarvortex of early January.Anomaly Chart. November is shaping up to be a colder-than-normal month by a lot. Brisk northwesterly winds in the Great Lakes will cause heavy lake effect snow which will be measured in feet from Michigan to New York state. Monday, almost half of the Lower-48 was blanketed in snow. Please visit Mashable and Washington Post Capital Weather Gang for daily updates. Cold air pushes east thru Wednesday with a reinforcing shot of Arctic air with origin from the North Pole & Siberia to arrive on Thursday in the Great Lakes. Any relief is is 5-6 days away as Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit will struggle to rise above freezing until Saturday. Let my Weather Maps tell the story:

California's Chinook salmon Fall spawning run slowed by drought Sharon Bernstein Rawstory 2014-11-18 18:30:00 The annual fall migration of Chinook salmon has been delayed by warmer water temperatures and slow-flowing streams in parts of California as the state's three-year drought drags on, hatchery officials said Monday. Cool November temperatures usually bring thousands of adult salmon from the Pacific Ocean into streams and rivers to spawn. But this year, fish have been slow to migrate up the American River to the state's hatchery near Sacramento, said William Cox, manager of the fish production and distribution program at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "They haven't come into the river at the same time that they would normally," Cox said. Wildlife researchers check the strength of the fall salmon run by going out to creeks and rivers and counting them. This year in the American River and its tributaries, the survey crews found just 210 corpses of salmon that had presumably spawned and died in the streams, a tenth of the number normally encountered, Cox said. At another hatchery, near the Central Valley city of Merced, a higher than normal number of male salmon are arriving unable to provide viable sperm to spawn, he said. State wildlife experts are not entirely sure why the salmon are late, but some speculate that warmer temperatures and slower flow in the American River might be to blame. "Folsom reservoir is low and warm right now, so the water coming down isn't as cold as the fish prefer," said Kevin Thomas, a supervising environmental scientist with the state.

Fire in the Sky

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Health & Wellness

Report shows high levels of lethal contamination in British poultry Richard Gray The Guardian 2014-11-18 21:06:00 Experts say freezing chickens could reduce poisoning risks after FSA report shows high levels of potentially lethal bug present in poultry sold at British supermarkets Chickens sold in Britain are still being contaminated with high levels of the potentially deadly food poisoning bug campylobacter due to poor practice within the poultry industry, public health officials have warned. Supermarkets have also continued to allow chickens to be sold to consumers even though they have tested positive for high levels of the bacteria. Officials at Public Health England claim that without sufficient legislation the industry will resist implementing measures that could help to reduce the contamination of chickens for fear it will drive up the cost of meat. Their warnings come as the Food Standards Agency is preparing to publish a survey assessing the campylobacter levels on chicken being sold at leading UK supermarkets. Preliminary results showed that the bacteria could be found on the meat 59% of fresh chicken products on sale. Dr Frieda Jorgensen, a microbiologist at Public Health England, said the updated results due to be published later this month are likely to show even higher contamination levels.

Scientists are studying the ketogenic diet as a weapon against cancer Jerome Burne Daily Mail 2014-11-18 09:01:00 Zoe Taylor had her first epileptic seizure in May 2013. It was the most frightening and painful experience of her life. 'I've had two children without pain relief and that was a breeze by comparison,' says Zoe, 33. 'It was a pain you can't imagine. It started in my tongue and I felt impelled to open my jaws as wide as possible. 'I expelled all the air from my lungs and then I couldn't breathe in.' As well as feeling as if she was suffocating, her body was jerking uncontrollably, then she fell unconscious. After that, she had similar seizures every six weeks or so and smaller ones up to ten times a day. 'My jaw would go fuzzy and numb. Afterwards, I'd feel tired and get emotional about the smallest thing.' In July, the cause was revealed - a slow-growing brain tumour. 'I was told it might stay in the same state for years, but they wouldn't operate because its location meant I might suffer brain damage,' says Zoe, who lives with her husband Lee, 35, a hairdresser, and their children, Milo, four, and Isabella, seven, in Totnes, Devon.Unfortunately, leaving the tumour in place meant it could become aggressive. 'I was told radiotherapy might prolong my life by several years, but only half of patients who develop the aggressive type of tumour are alive a year later.' Conventional treatment for brain cancer involves surgery, if possible, and chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, as well as epilepsy drugs for the seizures - these occur because the tumour presses on surrounding brain cells. Zoe is taking epilepsy drugs, but she believes their effect has been boosted dramatically by following a diet approved to treat children with epilepsy. Known as the ketogenic diet, it is being used experimentally to help a few adult brain cancer patients control their seizures. It's thought it might even help tackle cancer.

Comment: Imagine living in an environment where you're surrounded by freezing cold; most of available food is moving with four legs and plant based food is scarce. That's the environment we've genetically evolved and that's the type of food our genes have programmed us to optimally function. Human beings are creatures of ice age so it's no wonder why ketogenic diet has so good health results. The way ancient human beings survived was eating once or twice a day animal based foods high with nourishing fat. Here's additional reading on ketogenic diet: The Ketogenic Diet - An Overview High-fat low-carb ketogenic diets beginning to earn mainstream respect Nina Teicholz: The Big Fat Surprise! (Video) 5 most common low-carb mistakes (and how to avoid them) It's official - Time to drop hazardous low fat guidelines

Greedy and criminal: Big Pharma markets deadly and ineffective cancer drugs Vladimir Platov New Eastern Outlook 2014-11-15 00:00:00 Medical experts are saying that the biggest flaw of Big Pharma today is a high percentage of ineffective products being sold without previous clinical trials. This is particularly true when anti-cancer medications are concerned.The sad fact is that Big Pharma prefers to invest in advertising and bribing officials instead of attempting to make their products truly effective. Today pharmaceutical manufacturing is handsomely funded by politicians and organized crime, since it's has become one of the most efficient money laundering schemes and has already corrupted a large number of US and EU officials. Biotech expert C. Glenn Begley, the former Vice-President and Global Head of Hematology and Oncology Research at Amgen - one of the largest cancer research centers in the US, is now a senior vice president in a private biotech company TetraLogic. In his article published in Nature magazine back in March 2012, Glenn stated that a series of tests conducted under his supervision proved that out of 53 anti-cancer drugs that had been developed by "respected laboratories," a total of 47 showed no noticeable improvements in patients' health conditions (which amounts to 88%).

Comment: The travesty of this situation is that there are alternatives to poisonous cancer drugs, but BigPharma buries any promising research and blocks effective non-toxic alternatives, to protect industry profits. In addition, they use the medical mafia to hunt down people who refuse to submit to their poisons. The industry buys its way out of any scandal, while millions perish from diseases that could well be avoided or cured if it were not for the complete corruption of the medical industrial complex. Greed: Why an accepted "cure" for cancer won't be found 97 Percent of the time, chemotherapy does not work! Bigpharma greed and profits assure it's continued use, despite more effective and less toxic alternatives