The British SIS-Crown has movedits ISIS special forces to Libya

Western media AWOL as 'Islamic State' regroups in Libya: Interview with James & Joanne Moriarty Niall Bradley Sott.net 2016-01-02 13:57:00 The nightmare is not over for Libya. In fact, it may only have just begun. Sirte, Muammar Gadaffi's birthplace and the last major city to fall to the 'rebels' in 2011, is once again occupied by terrorists. In recent communication with the leadership of Libya's Tribes' Council, US contacts James and Joanne Moriarty were told that the leadership of ISIS (Islamic State), Boko Harim ('ISIS in Nigeria'), Ansar al-Sharia ('ISIS in Libya'), and possibly others, all gathered in Sirte, Libya, for meetings that took place around the 9th and 10th of December 2015. In their discussion with myself and Joe Quinn on our Behind the Headlines radio show on Sunday December 13th, the Moriartys relayed how Sirte, once a thriving city on Libya's Mediterranean coast, but now a stronghold of cut-throats and bandits, was placed on full lock-down for the mid-December terrorist coven. Much of Sirte's population of 300,000 either succumbed to genocide or fled during and after the violent 2011 coup and NATO bombardment in Libya (told fully in horrific detail for the first time here). By mid-2012, about 70% of the population had returned to Sirte, then spent three years attempting to rebuild until, in February 2015, 'ISIS' terrorists appeared out of nowhere - in a fleet of brand, spanking new Toyota pick-ups - and commenced a siege of the city. In August 2015, ISIS brutally quelled a rebellion by citizens who took up arms to try to push the terrorists away from their city. Desperate, the Council of Deputies (one of Libya's two 'legitimate' governments - three if you include ISIS) formally requested support from the Arab League in the form of airstrikes against the terrorists.

Number of protests across US surged during 2015 RT 2015-12-31 03:12:00 From 'Black Lives Matter' to 'Fight for 15,' the year of 2015 saw a surge of protests all across the nation. January Protesters around the country kicked off the 2015 with a Black Lives Matter demonstrationagainst police brutality. On New Year's Eve, about 100 demonstrators gathered at New York City's iconic Times Square, where Mayor Bill de Blasio and his family presided over the annual ball drop, to stage a 'die-in.' Marchers didn't manage to get onto the square itself, due to the massive number of revelers attending. On the West Coast, the largest New Year's march was held in Oakland, California, against perceived police force. Over 200 activists staged a noise demonstration where voices, electronics, musical instruments and fireworks were used as a means to get message out, but instead attract a large police presence. After unruly protesters lobbed bottles at the police who were cordoning them off, 29 people were arrested. Later in the month, 23 Black Lives Matter activists were arrested after chaining themselves to barrelsand blocking both sides of an interstate near Boston. "Today, our nonviolent direct action is meant to expose the reality that Boston is a city where white commuters and students use the city and leave, while black and brown communities are targeted by police, exploited, and displaced," protester Katie Seitz said in a statement.

Comment: Americans of conscience are justifiably outraged over the murderous behavior of police officers who are supposed to protect and serve. Pathological leadership, which exists across the United States, does not know how to solve crises. It does not know how to rebuild, nor how to heal. It only know how to create additional chaos and point the finger at others. This of course adds more fuel to the fire, degrades society, and quickens the pace of systematic collapse. What will 2016 bring... the breaking point?

Puppet Masters

US Judge: We subsidize Israeli tyranny and fascism Wendell Griffin Counter Punch 2016-01-01 00:00:00 Did you know that police tactics in the United States are being modeled after the tactics used by Israeli security operatives, the Israeli Defense Force, and Israeli police involved in the illegal occupation of Palestine and abuse of Palestinians? Consider the following information about the Israeli National Counter-Terrorism Seminar that one can find on the website of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). "Every year, American law enforcement executives travel to Israel with ADL to study first hand Israel's tactics and strategies to combat terrorism. The National Counter-Terrorism Seminar (NCTS) is an intensive week long course led by senior commanders in the Israel National Police, experts from Israel's intelligence and security services, and the Israel Defense Forces. More than 175 law enforcement executives have participated in 12 NCTS sessions since 2004, taking the lessons they learned in Israel back to the United States."

Comment: The Israeli occupation of Palestine is illegal and always has been. Israel makes no bones about being an apartheid state and stealing land from Palestine, yet the US government, funded by US tax payers, continues to support Israel despite this reality, while even sending their domestic troops police to be trained in their tactics of occupation and population suppression. So much for being a beacon of freedom and democracy in the world. The world is being "occupied" by psychopaths.

Human research loopholes: Alive & well Yonatan Moskowitz & Lee Tien Electronic Frontier Foundation 2015-12-28 20:28:00 In one of the darkest chapters in medical ethics, the United States government ran an experiment from the 1930s to the 1970s in which it withheld treatment and medical information from rural African-American men suffering from syphilis. The public uproar generated by the Tuskegee Syphilis Studyeventually resulted in regulations restricting government-supported research testing on humans. These regulations are called the "Common Rule," and they are right now up for their first full update. The Common Rule, also known as the "Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects," is supposed to affirmatively protect us from the abuses of the future. However, the proposed regulation is lousy with loopholes, including ones that could exempt tracking online behavior and experiments related to intelligence activities.

EU fails to uphold core principals of human rights and democracy in 2015 Sputnik News 2016-01-02 19:00:00 The European Union's policies in 2015 showed that it is no longer concerned with its founding missions of democracy and rights, according to a French economist. The European Union in 2015 has failed in upholding three of its core principles, democracy, human rights and efficient governance, French economist Gerard-Francois Dumont wrote in Atlantico. Failing to protect refugees and entering deals with Turkey to curb their flow dealt a blow to the EU's human rights mission, according to Dumont. At the same time, the union also stamped out democracy by having its unelected bureaucratic bodies make decisions instead of local institutions.

Comment: Has the EU ever upheld its supposed core principals, or has it always just been a lapdog for NATO's continual war of aggression?

Attack on Indian air force base at Pathankot, Punjab: 5 terrorists, 3 security men killed Harkirat Singh, Aseem Bassi, Vinay Dhingra Hindustan Times 2016-01-02 00:00:00 Five terrorists and three security men including one Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel were killed in an attack on an air force base in Punjab's Pathankot district early on Saturday morning, setting alarm bells ringing across the country. Gunshots rocked the facility around 3:30am on the second day of a new year as a group of at least five men in army-style clothing - believed to be operatives of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group - launched the daring operation less than 24 hours after an alert was sounded in the state over the assault of a top police officer by suspected Pakistani terrorists. Even though police said the gun battle ended by 8am in which four terrorists were killed, shots and loud explosions were heard from inside the base around 11am.

Comment: Pak militant group's role in Pathankot attack decoded Security agencies have traced the involvement of the shadowy terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad in the Indian Air Force base attack in Pathankot after intercepting mobile calls made by five terrorists to their handlers in Pakistan. The Jaish-e-Mohammad - meaning 'army of the Prophet' - is a Pakistan-based outfit headed by Maulana Masood Azhar, who was one of three terrorists freed by India in exchange for the release of 176 passengers aboard an hijacked Indian Airline flight in 1999. ... Terrorists had snatched a mobile phone from Gurdaspur superintendent of police Salwinder Singh whom they had waylaid near Pathankot on the Friday morning. The terrorists used the SP's official vehicle to get away from the scene and get closer to their intended target in Pathankot, according to police. ... Over the last few years, JeM cadres dwindled in Kashmir and it almost retreated into obscurity on the radar of security agencies. With the Pathankot attack, the ghost of JeM may have returned, security officials said. Pathankot terrorists spoke of revenge for Afzal Guru Gurdaspur resident Rajesh Verma survived a slit throat to alert security agencies about the audacious plan by a group of Pakistan-based terrorists to attack a defense installation. Speaking to HT exclusively from a hospital bed on Saturday, Verma, 40, recounted in details his ordeal which started on Friday morning when he decided to accompany Gurdaspur police official Salwinder Singh on a trip to a saint's mazaar close to the Indo-Pak border. "When we were coming back, four men in army uniforms signaled our car to stop. As we stopped, the four overpowered us and barged into the vehicle and tied all of us with ropes and clothes," Verma said. Verma said that soon after they were abducted the men told them that they were going to attack the air force base to avenge the hanging of Afzal Guru, convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack. The Urdu-speaking men were carrying assault rifles and grenades as well as a GPS navigation system and had a clear idea about the location of the base. "'You killed Afzal Guru and now we will take revenge' they kept on saying as they continued hitting us with rifles butts," Verma said. Guru was hanged and buried in the Tihar jail on February 9, 2013 for his role in the 2001 attack on Parliament after his mercy petition was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Russia insists Jaysh al-Islam, Ahrar ash-Sham must be on list of terrorist groups in Syria ITAR-TASS 2016-01-02 18:14:00 The Russian side so far believes it is unnecessary to make public its proposals for the list of terrorist groups active in Syria that should be excluded from the political settlement process, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov told TASS in an interview. "The work on the list of terrorist groups in Syria that would be acceptable for all has not been finished yet," he said. "I will not report the exact list of our proposals on the candidates to be put on the terrorist list - it is still part of the process of coordination of positions that should unite all members of the international Syria Support Group, so the haste and even publicity is apparently unnecessary here." Nevertheless, the official made an exception for two groups - Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar ash-Sham. "The specified groups, in our view, should be included in the final variant of the list, as they cannot make a contribution to attaining the political tasks for all Syria," he said. "Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar ash-Sham are criminal terrorist organizations that should be liquidated, and their criminal activity - stopped. There is, believe me, convincing evidence to this that is also known to our foreign partners."

Are Erdogan's anti-Kurdish actions driving Turkey towards a civil war? Sputnik News 2016-01-02 18:40:00 Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan's unquenchable thirst to concentrate political power in his hands, together with his ever-broadening campaign against the Kurds, both at home and in neighboring Syria, threatens to take the country "to the brink of a fully-fledged civil war," warns Pakistani political analyst Salman Rafi Sheikh. In his latest analysis for the internet-based foreign policy journal New Eastern Outlook, Sheikh, a freelance journalist and political analyst who covers international relations and Pakistani affairs, explained that the present Turkish leadership's intolerance toward the idea of sharing power with the Kurdish minority threatens to become a recipe for disaster. "If we were to believe Erdogan's up-beat 'anti-terror' rhetoric," the analyst writes, "we might also be also be tempted to believe that Turkey, led by him, has been one of the most important states fighting terrorists since the beginning of the current phase of the conflict in the Middle East - a phase that originally started with the Western-engineered so-called 'Arab Spring'."

Comment: Erdogan continues to expose his true colors as a brutal and intolerant dictator, wreaking havoc on Turkey.

Off to a fast start: Saudi Arabia executes 47 people, including prominent Shiite cleric, on terror charges RT 2016-01-02 17:45:00 Saudi Arabia has executed 47 people for terrorism, including the prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the Interior Ministry said Saturday. His execution has stirred particular outrage among the kingdom's critics, saying the cleric's death aims to "set the region on fire." Most of those executed were said to be involved in a series of attacks carried out by Al Qaeda between 2003 and 2006. Iran has warned that executing al-Nimr "would cost Saudi Arabia dearly," Reuters reported. A prominent state-affiliated Iranian cleric, Ahmad Khatami, said the execution of Nimr al-Nimr was something to be expected from "criminal" Saudi Arabia, Iranian Fars agency reported. He added that Saudi ruling family would be "wiped from the pages of history" for executing the cleric, Mehr reported. An MP from the ruling Shi'ite coalition in Iraq said Nimr's execution aimed to "set region on fire," Sumaria TV reported. The Lebanese Supreme Shi'ite Council has condemned al-Nimr's execution, calling it a serious "mistake."

Ya think? Former U.S. Ambassador says America has reputation as a killer nation and danger to world society Sputnik 2016-01-02 13:19:00 The reputation of the Americans abroad is that of a killer nation and a danger to world society; it has practically no allies and those countries who claim to be as such take the US side only in an attempt to exercise some sort of control over their homicidal tendencies, according to the former US ambassador to a number of countries Dan Simpson. And the US arms industry, he says, is the only beneficiary of this role. "At home, it sells the guns that are used, virtually without control, to slaughter innocent groups of people, including in churches and schools," the former US Foreign Service officer elaborated in his article for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Comment: Perhaps if more Americans understood how the rest of the world views our culture of violence and fears our 'humanitarian' interventions and spreading of 'democracy' they might begin to questions current policies and demand change. But it is unlikely that any mainstream media outlet will crack open a door that might crush the carefully constructed myth of American exceptionalism. The USA is number one...but only when it comes to violence At least 4 million people dead due to America's global holocaust, "War on Terror" The world sees Americans as disorder-level narcissists

Putin signs document: US is a threat to Russian national security Press TV 2016-01-02 02:41:00 A new document signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin has, for the first time, named the United States as a threat to Russia's national security, highlighting a rise in tensions between the two countries in recent years. Putin signed the document, "About the Strategy of National Security of Russian Federation," on New Year's Eve, Reuters reported on Saturday. The document, which serves as a basis for a planning strategy related to national security, replaces a 2009 version endorsed by current Prime Minister and then President Dmitry Medvedev. The US was not included in the 2009 version of the document. The document accuses the United States of expanding its network of military-biological laboratories in countries neighboring Russia. "The strengthening of Russia happens against the background of new threats to the national security, which has complex and interrelated nature," the document said. The new document also says Russia's efforts to keep an independent "international and domestic" policy had caused "counteraction from the USA and its allies, which are striving to retain their dominance in global affairs." The signing of the document comes against the backdrop of a rising military presence by the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltics. The document also names the expansion of NATO as a threat to Russia's national security.

Comment: Russia is calling it like it is. Turn-about is fair play, especially with the amount of restraint and wisdom exhibited so far on the part of Russia towards the West and specifically the US.

UK veterans may face Iraq war murder, torture and rape charges as claims grow tenfold RT 2016-01-02 15:15:00 Allegations of unlawful killings and torture committed by British troops in Iraq have multiplied tenfold over the past five years, with the head of the unit established to investigate the cases saying the soldiers may face prosecution. When the UK Ministry of Defense created the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) in 2010 to look into accusations of abuse and torture allegedly committed by the British contingent in Iraq in 2003-06, the number of the victims it was dealing with was 152, yet in a matter of five years this number grew by almost 10 times, currently reaching at least 1,514, according to the latest IHAT quarterly update. Of the total number of alleged victims, some 280 are victims of alleged unlawful killings and 1,235 are cases of ill-treatment, including alleged rape and torture. Currently, only 25 unlawful killing cases (9 percent) allegedly committed by British forces are being investigated; the ill-treatment cases under investigation total 45 (less than 4 percent). "There are serious allegations that we are investigating across the whole range of IHAT investigations, which incorporates homicide, where I feel there is significant evidence to be obtained to put a strong case before the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) to prosecute and charge," Mark Warwick, a former police detective in charge of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), told The Independent.

Comment: In 2003, the US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant violation of international law and under the pretext of finding weapons of mass destruction allegedly stockpiled by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. However, the world later learned that the former Iraqi regime did not possess WMDs and that the US and British leaders knew this all along. See also: Bush, Blair Found Guilty of War Crimes by Tribunal People Power: Tony Blair's autobiography becomes 'crime book' after Facebook campaign Tony Blair and the real war criminals: Will they ever be tried?

Analyst on Saudi Arabia: Expect uprising following Nimr execution Press TV 2016-01-02 01:53:00 Press TV has conducted an interview with Alexander Azadgan, a professor of Strategic Global Management from California, to discuss Saudi Arabia's execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. The following is a rough transcription of the interview: Press TV: It is a sad day for the Muslim world and also when it comes to human rights that a human rights defender has been executed in Saudi Arabia simply for expressing his views. What do you make of it? Azadgan: Well, I am going to break the academic protocol and state that the Saudi regime is going to burn in hell for doing this to human rights activists. Now, there is no doubt whatsoever about Saudi Arabia's treatment of dissidents. If King Salman had any credibility to begin with which I do not believe that he had any, he has just lost the ... last ounce of his credibility. I do wonder if there is some Machiavellian deal that was made in the background because just today or in the past days or so we heard about the opening of the Saudi embassy in Baghdad. I wonder if some of the extremist elements in Iraq demanded the head of the Sheikh in order to have Saudi Arabia established diplomatic relations with it. So, this is a very very dark day for human rights activism, for freedom movements and Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr certainly secured his martyrdom in the Islamic history and if the Saudis were concerned about a Shia uprising, they have just guaranteed it by doing this.

Comment: Watch video of the interview here.

Sheikh Nimr execution by Riyadh condemned by Iranian clerics Press TV 2016-01-02 11:45:00 Senior Iranian clerics have condemned Saudi Arabia's execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqr al-Nimr despite international calls on Riyadh to revoke the religious figure's death verdict. Tehran's interim Friday Prayers leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said on Saturday the execution is in line with a litany of crimes committed by the Al Saud regime from the onset of its creation. Khatami, who also serves a member of the Assembly of Experts, highlighted other examples of Riyadh's criminal acts, including its military campaign against Yemen, which he described as an "eternal stain of shame" in the history of the Al Saud dynasty. The Saudi campaign against Yemen began on March 26. More than 7,500 people have died in the airstrikes ever since. "I have no doubt that this pure blood will stain the collar of the House of Saud and wipe them from the pages of history," the cleric added, calling on the Muslim world to take a stand against the killing of Sheikh Nimr. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Abbas Ka'abi, another member of the Assembly of Experts, denounced the execution, saying the killing shows the Al Saud regime is desperate and [on] the verge of downfall. "By executing this revolutionary Sheikh, Al Saud committed a great crime and folly," he said. Nimr, a cleric highly respected by the Saudi Shias, was attacked and arrested in the Qatif region of Eastern Province back in 2012 on charges of undermining the kingdom's security, making anti-government speeches, and defending political prisoners. Nimr has denied the accusations.

Comment: Closer to the brink, "anger around the world," a significant flash point?

New year, same Zion: Israel launches airstrikes against Gaza Press TV 2016-01-01 10:55:00 Israeli warplanes have carried out several airstrikes against the Gaza Strip in another act of aggression against the besieged Palestinian territory. The early Saturday raids on unspecified targets in Gaza came hours after Tel Aviv claimed that rockets fired from the coastal enclave had hit southern occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli media said a total of five rockets were fired from Gaza on Friday night, adding that three exploded before they crossed the border. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the other two rockets that hit an open area near the city of Sderot. The Israeli military frequently bombs the Gaza Strip. The disproportionate force is always used in violation of international law, and civilians are often killed or injured. In early July 2014, Israel waged a war on the Gaza Strip. The 50-day offensive ended on August 26 with a truce that took effect after indirect negotiations in the Egyptian capital Cairo. Nearly 2,200 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed in Israel's onslaught. Over 11,100 others - including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people - were also injured.

Comment: It never seems to end.

Terrorists storm India's Pathankot Air Base near Pakistani border - gun battle ensues RT 2016-01-02 02:20:00 A gun battle has been raging at India's Pathankot Air Base in the northern Punjab state since four to five armed men stormed the facility. Media reports say two soldiers and two suspected terrorists have been killed in the shootout with Indian national guard. The armed assault was launched at 3:30 am local time (22 pm Friday GMT), according to the NDTV agency, citing local authorities. The assailants reportedly used a stolen vehicle and military uniforms to get into the base. The attack resulted in a fierce gun battle with Indian security forces, which blocked the gunmen in an area inside the base. Although there are Indian MiG-29 fighter jets and helicopters stationed at the location, none of them could be reached by the attackers, according to officials quoted by NDTV. Up to five terrorists stormed the facility, local news agency Asian News International (ANI) reported. According to ANI, two of the attackers have been killed and the Indian troops have sent for reinforcements, including helicopters. Unconfirmed reports also said that two soldiers have been killed in the attack.

Comment: SOTT Exclusive: Kalashnikovs in India - U.S.-backed insurgents playing divide and conquer near China's borders

Society's Child

Pryor teen shot while 'Ding Dong Ditching' In neighborhood Allison Harris News 6 2016-01-01 20:51:00 A 14-year-old Pryor boy is out of surgery after being shot several times by his neighbor who has not been arrested. Police said the teen and two of his friends were ringing doorbells and running off early New Year's Day when the homeowner came out to his front yard and started firing.

Comment: Clearly the home owner acted out in a rage of violence against kids who presented zero threat to anyone. If the district attorney has even half a bit of wit he'll charge the home owner withassault with a deadly weapon.

Despite health and privacy risks, NYC will turn 7,500 phone booths into Wi-Fi hot spots Kevin Samson Activist Post 2016-01-02 20:22:00 Awareness continues to increase surrounding the health dangers of Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) emanating from our daily gadgets, as well as from the rise of the Smart Grid. For example, a prominent neuroscientist went on record in a lecture to the medical community itself where he exposed the many health risks as well as an industry-wide attempt by telecom to cover up the negative consequences. A world-renown biochemist is seeking to abolish WiFi in schools. And aBritish ER physician has made it her mission to educate people about what steps they can take to minimize exposure and damage to WiFi. A slew of peer-review scientific studies support the warnings of these experts. So what happens when your entire city becomes one giant WiFi signal? Major cities have been planning to do just that, and their plans are now ready to become reality. Telecom giant Virgin Media announced a pilot program in October to implement "discreet street furniture" and the "UK's first Smart Pavement" in Chesham, a city of 21,000 people. They stated that their plans were ultimately far more ambitious, seeking "to build more networks like this across the UK."

Comment: Does anyone really think that their city cares if they have free and easy access to the internet? Business and government gives out nothing for free unless it is for their own benefit.

Catastrophe in California: Months-long methane gas leak pollutes the atmosphere north of L.A. Deirdre Fulton Common Dreams 2015-12-30 16:14:00 The toxic methane cloud that has been "billowing" for months over an underground natural gas reservoir near the affluent community of Porter Ranch just north of Los Angeles illustrates "gaping vulnerabilities" in oversight and enforcement of greenhouse gas pollution rules, a California newspaper editorial board declared this week. A pipe leak has been releasing an estimated tens of thousands of kilograms of methane into the air every hour since mid-October, leading environmentalists like Erin Brockovich to declare it "a catastrophe the scale of which has not been seen since the 2010 BP oil spill." "The enormity of the Aliso Canyon gas leak cannot be overstated," Brockovich wrote earlier this month after visiting Porter Ranch. "Gas is escaping through a ruptured pipe more than 8,000 feet underground, and it shows no sign of stopping. As the pressure from weight on top of the pipe causes the gas to diffuse, it only continues to dissipate across a wider and wider area. According to tests conducted in November by the California Air Resources Board, the leak is spewing 50,000 kilograms of gas per hour—the equivalent to the strength of a volcanic eruption."

Comment: For related articles on this issue, see: Porter Ranch gas leak catastrophe. No fly zone declared. Total cover up Infrared video shows massive methane gas plume in California - 2,500 families forced to relocate Erin Brockovich seeks justice for the victims of the Porter Ranch gas leak Two months in, Porter Ranch gas leak compared to BP Gulf oil spill Massive natural gas leak in Southern California could take months to plug Methane outgassing is becoming disturbingly frequent, both under the oceans and on land. Although the above leak is occurring at a man-made gas well, the leak may be natural. See also: Active underwater volcano spewing methane gas found in southern Alaska Study shows natural gas leaks spewing methane from more than 1,000 places in Manhattan Ontario methane gas leak thought to be natural - called 'extremely rare occurrence' Outgassing? Mysterious odor fills Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on Friday Outgassing? US: Mysterious odor stumps Maryland officials--Do you smell it? Methane outgassing in Russia's capital? Mystery fog, 'toxic' sulfur odor covers Moscow Heat Wave or Outgassing? Thousands of Dead Fish in Minnesota Lakes Final death toll from massive Harlem explosion: 8 - Cause remains unknown, but investigators suspect natural outgassing after discovering unusually high levels of methane in soil THIS phenomenon of methane and carbon dioxide being released in enormous quantities from below ground and water, and not 'man-made CO2', is the primary source of observed 'greenhouse gas' increases in both the atmosphere and oceans.

Market manipulation: Oil prices to remain low in Q1 2016, stabilize by end of year Sputnik News 2016-01-02 19:16:00 Oil prices could stabilize toward the end of 2016, but would remain relatively low, according to the chief executive of BP oil company, Bob Dudley. Global oil prices will reach a "low point" in the first quarter of 2016 before stabilizing by the end of the year, the chief executive of BP oil company, Bob Dudley, said Saturday. "A low point could be in the first quarter," Dudley told BBC radio.

Comment: A more evidence-based explanation for the decline of oil prices than OPEC over-producing oil and fracking adding a significant amount to the oil supply, is market manipulation: Saudi Arabian oil price manipulation scheme backfires in Russia's favor Conspiracy! Saudi oil used to manipulate Russian support of Syria's Assad Russia responds to U.S.-Saudi oil market manipulation by dumping dollars to protect currency and falling oil prices Bankrupting your allies: US manipulation of oil price bites Saudi Arabia The U.S./Saudi oil price manipulation smacks of desperation Abiotic Petroleum and Primary Water: Are 'shortages' of oil and water 'manufactured scarcity'?

Michigan Government 'sorry' as Flint's 'man-made' water catastrophe continues Andrea Germanos Common Dreams 2015-12-30 18:58:00 Michigan's top environment official resigns in latest development of lead contaminated water crisis. In the latest fallout from Flint, Michigan's public health crisis of lead poisoning its drinking water, Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday said he was "very sorry" and the state's top environmental official resigned. One advocacy group, however, says that full accountability and transparency for this "man-made catastrophe" are still absent. That catastrophe began in April 2014, as the Rust Belt city was under control of an emergency manager, and it moved its water supply from the Detroit system to the Flint River without the proper corrosive controls. Lead leached from pipes, putting thousands of the city's children at risk of brain damage from the contamination and prompting local outcry. A local pediatrician has called it an "emergency" situation that is "alarming and absolutely gut-wrenching." The latest developments are in response to initial findings released by a Snyder-appointed task force charged with looking into how and why the crisis came to be. The body put most of the blame on Michigan's environmental regulatory agency.

Comment: More information about the ongoing crisis in Michigan: Michigan state officials lied about lead in Flint's water - knowingly poisoning countless children Mayor of Flint, Michigan declares public health emergency over lead water crisis

New York man saves woman from faulty lift, says 'Happy New Year', dies Hindustan Times 2016-01-02 00:00:00 A New York man fell to his death in a faulty elevator after pushing out a woman to safety and wishing her 'Happy New Year', news agencies reported. 25-year-old Stephen Hewett-Brown, an aspiring musician, was riding an elevator in lower Manhattan, New York around midnight when it malfunctioned. He managed to save Erudi Sanchez, 43, who lives in the building, by pushing her out of the lift onto one of the building's floors before getting pinned between the elevator car and the shaft as he tried to escape himself, witnesses told the Daily News of New York. "When I got into the elevator, I felt it dropping and I thought my feet would get caught in the gap but the man pushed me out and said, 'Happy New Year,'" Sanchez told the Daily News on Friday.

American middle class decline, in part, self-inflicted Charles Hugh Smith OfTwoMinds 2015-12-29 00:00:00 Conventional explorations of why the middle class is shrinking focus on economic issues such as the decline of unions and manufacturing, the increasing premiums paid to the highest-paid workers and the rising costs of higher education and healthcare. All of these factors have a role, but few comment on the non-economic factors, specifically the values that underpin the accumulation of capital that is the one essential project of middle class households. Daniel Bell's landmark 1976 book The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism held that "capitalism--and the culture it creates--harbors the seeds of its own downfall by creating a need among successful people for personal gratification--a need that corrodes the work ethic that led to their success in the first place." I would phrase this in the language of values and capital: The primary cultural contradiction of the Great American Middle Class is the disconnect between the values needed to build capital and those of gratification via debt-based consumption.

More than 400,000 Ukrainians ready to integrate into Russian society Sputnik 2016-01-02 17:54:00 More than 1.3 million displaced Ukrainians have contacted FMS since the start of the armed conflict in southeastern Ukraine in April 2014. Over 419,000 have filed asylum claims, according to the agency. "Russia has done everything in its power to take in Ukrainian citizens who have been forced to flee Ukraine. Over 400,000 people are potentially ready to integrate into the Russian society," the migration agency said. FMS estimates that a total of 2.6 million Ukrainians are currently living in Russia, 1.1 million of them from the war-hit southeastern regions. According to the UN Refugee Agency, Russia is the world's second biggest recipient of asylum claims after Germany.

Majority of Chinese believe Western countries intend to contain China Gu Di and Liu Xin Global Times 2015-12-30 00:00:00 A new poll shows that some 78 percent of Chinese believe Western countries intend to contain China. Some 36.5 percent said the West intends to and have already moved to contain China. Some 41.7 percent say Western countries have such intentions but there exists no obvious action, according to a survey released by the Global Times' Poll Center Tuesday. The annual survey, "How Chinese people view the world," involved telephone responses from 1,530 people from seven Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Changsha. Jin Canrong, deputy dean of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Tuesday that this is how the Chinese feel, following the past year's events. Relations between China and the US have been strained in 2015 due to issues like the South China Sea disputes and cyber security. China and Japan locked horns in disputes around the Diaoyu Islands and Japan's attitude to face up to its wartime history.

Comment: The Chinese are well aware of the West's geopolitical maneuvers. SOTT EXCLUSIVE: China is on to U.S. regime change tactics The new great game between the US and China: Will chess, not battleships, be the game of the future in Eurasia? Obama and his Neocon crazies instigate war in the South China Sea but China doesn't bite... yet What the media isn't telling you about China's 'Xinjiang problem' - it's made in the USA

Predictions and trends for 2016: The good, the bad, and the ugly 21st Century Wire 2016-01-02 17:02:00 Looking forward into the New Year, here are a few predictions and some emerging trends to be on the look out for in 2016. In last year's Predictions and Trends for 2015, we told readers to expect some major tectonic shifts in the geopolitical arena. That happened alright, and in the coming 12 months we can expect some of those new realities to solidify, while others continue to take shape. The good, the bad, and the ugly - here's what to look for ahead in 2016...

Comment: 2016 should prove to be quite interesting, get a good seat and enjoy the show!

Russian economic development may outperform that of EU members Sputnik 2016-01-02 13:33:00 This year may see Russia get the better of EU countries in terms of economic development, according to the Russian economist Vladislav Ginko. In an interview with Sputnik, noted Russian economic expert Vladislav Ginko suggested that in 2016, Russia will be able to outperform EU members as far as economic development is concerned. According to him, this year will prove to be more successful for those countries that have maintained their economic and financial sovereignty.

Comment: It's encouraging to witness how Russia has successfully outmaneuvered Western machinations against her, and to see those actions backfiring. Mush for brains! 'Anti-Russian' sanctions are costing the West thousands of jobs and billions of dollars Russia and China make next move to exit U.S. dollar tyranny So much for sanctions: Putin says Russian economy stabilizing as crisis has passed

After Protests and Strikes, 14 US States Implement Minimum Wage Increase for 2016 TeleSUR TV 2016-01-02 17:11:00 Fourteen states and several cities in the United States have increased their minimum wage after more than six years without an increase across the country. The federal minimum wage still remains at US$7.25 per hour, however as of Friday (New Year's Day), the average minimum wage across fourteen states that opted to change the rates reached just over $9 USD.  The steepest increases came in Alaska, California, Massachusetts, and Nebraska, who all raised their minimum wages by a dollar. This in turn had made the states of California and Massachusetts the first states the in the country to implement $10-per-hour minimum wages.

Anti-ISIS hackers claim responsibility for BBC cyber-attack Press TV 2016-01-02 03:38:00 A group of anti-Daesh hackers has claimed responsibility for the recent cyber-attack on the BBC's website. The attack took down the BBC website for a few hours on the New Year's Eve. The group, calling itself New World Hacking (NWH), said it bombarded the system with 600 gigabits a second of messages. According to the BBC's business correspondent, Joe Lynam the technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, had received a tweet from NWH, claiming responsibility for the attack. "Their ultimate goal, believe it or not, is not to attack the BBC but to go for ISIS (Daesh), the group which often calls itself Islamic State, and all their servers so they cannot spread propaganda from various different websites..."We have to stress we have no evidence, but this group is claiming responsibility for this DDoS attack and they claim their ultimate goal is to take down Isis websites," Lynam was quoted as saying by the British media.

Comment: Vulnerability is everywhere, apparently even for ISIS. Perhaps the next layer of propaganda has been exposed and with it, the next layer of control.

Gun sales explode after Swiss army chief warns people to 'arm themselves' Tyler Durden ZeroHedge 2016-01-01 21:04:00 It would appear the people of Switzerland have been listening to their military leaders. Having recently been warned by the Swiss army chief of growing social unrest, SwissInfo reports applications for gun permits in Switzerland increased by 20% between 2014 and 2015, according to a survey conducted in 12 cantons. But while the army proposes "arm yourselves," Swiss crime prevention officials warn against the false sense of security that guns bring. Whereas in 2011 numerous people in Switzerland voluntarily gave up their firearms, today more and more people are purchasing guns. Swiss army chief André Blattmann warned, "The threat of terror is rising, hybrid wars are being fought around the globe; the economic outlook is gloomy and the resulting migration flows of displaced persons and refugees have assumed unforeseen dimensions,"adding that "Social unrest can not be ruled out." He further recalled the situation around the two world wars in the last century and advised the people of Switzerland to arm themselves...

Comment: For more background on this, check out: Swiss army chief calls upon citizens to arm themselves in advance of social collapse

Third Allegiant flight from Orlando, Florida this week forced to make emergency landing News 13 Orlando 2016-12-31 16:11:00 An Allegiant Air flight made a safe emergency landing at a Tennessee airport Thursday morning, the third Allegiant flight from Orlando diverted this week. Chattanooga Airport spokesman Albert Waterhouse said Allegiant Air Flight 760 landed at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday after reporting an engine problem. No injuries were reported. Allegiant said in a statement that the plane has been taken out of service and will be inspected. The statement said the flight, which was headed from Orlando to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had 150 passengers and six crew members. Allegiant said a replacement aircraft will take passengers on to Iowa. On Wednesday afternoon, Allegiant Flight 736 was diverted from Orlando-Sanford International Airport to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, with 151 passengers and six crew members. No one was injured, and passengers were booked into hotels for the night. The airline hasn't said what prompted the emergency landing, but a passenger reported that there was a smell of smoke about halfway through the flight. Earlier this week, an Allegiant flight heading to Wisconsin landed in North Dakota after havingmechanical issues. Associated Press

Comment: "We heard an unusual noise. Something we've never heard on a flight before," said Matt Starkweather, a passenger on board the Allegiant Air Flight 760, "Like a boom. I guess it sounded like we hit something." A small selection of aircraft related incidents last year include: Planes suddenly 'disappearing' from radar, sometimes in "unprecedented" blackouts; more planes diverting due to "electrical burning and smoke smells", "engine fires" and plane wings "bursting into flames". See also: SOTT EXCLUSIVE: Year of the planes Cluster of plane problems as 2014 comes to a close

Secret History

Io Saturnalia! The Roman roots of 'Christmas' James Mace Over The Hills And Far Away 2015-12-18 12:27:00 Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, whatever your 'Reason for the Season', most of the December holiday traditions that we celebrate today can be traced back to the Ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia (with a healthy dose of inspiration also coming via the Vikings). From tree decorations, wreaths, ornaments, boughs of holly, carolling (albeit with more clothes and less rude songs these days), gift-giving, and even gingerbread men, most of what we identify as 'Christmas' has roots going back thousands of years. So what was Saturnalia? The fact is, the Romans loved festivals, and 'officially', Saturnalia commemorated the winter solstice, as well as honouring Saturn, the god of agriculture, wealth, and liberation. Most Roman holidays were never confined to a single day, and Saturnalia was a week-long celebration, lasting from the 17th to either the 23rd or 24th of December. Described by the Latin poet, Catullus, as "the best of days", it was the most popular holiday of the Roman calendar, attested by the fact that many of its traditions still survive to this day. Its exact date of origin is unknown, though references to the holiday are made as early as the 4th century B.C. Like other holidays and festivals, at its core, Saturnalia was a religious observance. Albeit, most of the religious aspects were only observed on the first day.

SOTT Radio Network: Unravelling the 'Jesus' myth - Interview with Laura Knight-Jadczyk Sott.net 2016-01-02 13:59:00 With Christians marking another Winter Solstice by celebrating the coincident anniversary of the birth of 'Jesus Christ' - a name that has loomed over Western civilization for some 2,000 years - we took the opportunity to talk once again with author and historian Laura Knight-Jadczyk about her latest research. Despite much scholarly research already providing grounds for doubting the historical accuracy of 'Jesus', most assume that this figure nevertheless had at least some historical basis in fact. Fundamental to this is the pairing of Roman historical data with key elements of the Jesus story. Laura Knight-Jadczyk believes she has found conclusive evidence that there was no 'Jesus', and that the figure we know by this name is a composite of different narratives woven together to create a new religion. But if there was no 'Jesus', why and how can there today be three major world religions based (or reliant) on one? Have a listen to the greatest story ever sold...

Weapons cache from the era of Ivan the Terrible excavated in Russian dig PysOrg 2016-01-01 02:07:00 An archaeological expedition from the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, while conducting a rescue excavation dig near Zvenigorod (Moscow Region) involving the new Central Circular Highway, has unearthed the private arsenal of a military commander from the era of Ivan the Terrible. The location of the find was formerly the 16th-century village of Ignatievskoe, once the homeland of the famous Boyar family of the Dobrynins. A member of this family once figured amongst Ivan the Terrible's "hand-picked thousand "—the top brass of the notorious Tsar's army, an elite officer group formed in October 1550. A royal edict ordered that the cities of Dmitrov, Zvenigorod and Ruza should be "brought to heel" by a specially formed unit of "the best officers, sons of Boyars." The "hand-picked thousand" became the new elite officer corps of the Russian army. The remains of around 60 village buildings were uncovered during the dig. On the western side of the former village, archaeologists unearthed a building with a very large underground timber-lined storehouse, uncovering the remains of a large private arsenal. They found helmets stored in leather boxes, kolchugs (a kind of cuirass), sections of military sabres, belts, and arrows and more. It seems possible that this was a cache of weapons for a military expedition, stored in special boxes, including even sections of camp tents and billy cans. This warlike inventory, along with the status of its owner, probably indicated the existence of a standing army of troops in readiness, who were armed, billeted and fed at the cost of members of the nobility as part of their responsibility as courtiers.

Science & Technology

Carpenter ants social behavior reprogrammed using epigenetic drugs Phys Org 2015-12-31 19:19:00 In Florida carpenter ant colonies, distinct worker castes called minors and majors exhibit pronounced differences in social behavior throughout their lives. In a new study published today in Science, a multi-institution team anchored at University of Pennsylvania found that these caste-specific behaviors are not set in stone. Rather, this pioneering study shows that social behavior can be reprogrammed, indicating that an individual's epigenetic, not genetic, makeup determines behavior in ant colonies. Epigenetics is the study of stable, or persistent, changes in gene expression that occur without changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetic regulation has been observed to affect a variety of distinct traits in animals, including body size, aging, and behavior. However, there is an enormous gap in knowledge about the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate social behavior. Ants provide ideal models to study social behavior, because each colony is comprised of thousands of individual sisters—famously, the queen and all workers are female—with nearly identical genetic makeup, much like human twins. However, these sisters possess stereotypically distinct physical traits and behaviors based on caste. In a previous study, the authors created the first genome-wide epigenetic maps in ants. This revealed that epigenetic regulation is key to distinguishing majors as the "brawny" soldiers of carpenter ant colonies, compared to minors, their smaller, "brainier" sisters. Major ants have large heads and powerful mandibles that help to defeat enemies and process and transport large food items. Minor ants are much smaller, outnumber majors two to one, and assume the important responsibility of searching for food and recruiting other ants to help with the harvest. Compared to majors, these foraging minors have genes involved in brain development and neurotransmission that are over expressed.

Earth Changes

Mysterious absence: Where are Hawaii's humpback whales? AP Staff Writers Christian Science Monitor 2016-01-02 20:39:00 December usually marks the start of humpback whale season in Hawaii, but experts say the animals have been slow to return this year. The giant whales are an iconic part of winter on the islands and a source of income for tour operators. But officials at the Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary said they've been getting reports that the whales have been difficult to spot so far. "This isn't a concern, but it's of interest. One theory was that something like this happened as whales increased. It's a product of their success," said Ed Lyman, a Maui-based resource protection manager and response coordinator for the sanctuary.

Dozens of starving seabirds found grounded inland in Southcentral Alaska Zaz Hollander Alaska Dispatch News 2014-12-30 19:20:00 Normally found skimming the North Pacific, seabirds known as common murres are appearing inland in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and elsewhere in Southcentral Alaska, starving and unable to fly. Reports of grounded murres have emerged from Moose Pass to north of Talkeetna, with many found this week in the Susitna Valley. The foot-tall black and white birds that resemble small penguins are showing up in odd places -- on the shoulder of busy Knik-Goose Bay Road outside Wasilla, just off a sled dog trail in Willow, tucked up next to a house in Houston. The influx of murres is inundating local wildlife rehabilitation centers. On Wednesday alone, 20 murres arrived at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage from Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center in Houston, where Susitna Valley residents are bringing grounded birds. Hundreds of people shared social media posts about the bizarre murre sightings. One Valley resident posted a pathetic photo of a murre on its side in the snow on a Facebook group for Mat-Su lost and found pets with a comment: "This little fella is sitting in our driveway. I'm not sure what's wrong with him but he can't seem to fly away -- he can waddle and that's about it."

6.4 magnitude earthquake hits China Times of India 2016-01-02 18:49:00 A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit China on Saturday, said the China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC). The quake hit Mudanjiang city of northeast China's Heilongjiang province at 12.22 a.m. (local time) on Saturday, Xinhua reported. The epicentre was monitored at 44.81 degrees north latitude and 129.95 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 580 km, according to the CENC. Source: Indo-Asian News Service

Magnitude 4.5 earthquake hits off California coast Peter Hockaday San Francisco Chronicle 2016-01-02 18:40:00 An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 struck off the California coast on Friday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake struck about 44 miles southwest of Eureka, Calif., at 9:11 p.m., according to the USGS. The quake struck just off the Northern California coast in the Pacific Ocean. There was no tsunami threat to Hawaii or the West Coast following the temblor, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Later Friday, a smaller quake struck in the Bay Area. According to the USGS, a quake with magnitude 2.5 struck 6 miles north of Pittsburg at 10:38 p.m.

5.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan The Indian Express 2016-01-02 18:34:00 A medium intensity earthquake on Saturday hit Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan, ripples of which were felt across North India, including in Jammu & Kashmir and the national capital. The earthquake, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, was 170 km deep, according to the National Seismology division of Ministry of Earth Sciences. There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property till the last reports came in. The tremor occurred at 2:07 PM and people in the national capital region rushed out of their homes. People in Kashmir also felt the tremor.

Record snowfall for Sudbury, Ontario Jonathan Migneault Northern Life 2015-12-30 17:49:00 City to start clearing high-use bus stops Wednesday night It's expected to take the city two more days to clear all 425 kilometres of sidewalks and walkways in Greater Sudbury, after a record 33-centimetre snowfall Tuesday. "They're making good progress," said City of Greater Sudbury spokesperson Shannon Dowling. Tony Cecutti, the city's general manager of infrastructure, said the focus on clearing Greater Sudbury's 3,560-kilometre municipal road network within 24 hours slowed down efforts to clean up sidewalks and walkways. "Unfortunately, we've filled in some of the sidewalks with our own plows," he said. The city plowed all streets and roadways by 4 a.m. Wednesday, and proceeded with second passes throughout the rest of the day.

New December snowfall record for Crater Lake National Park, Oregon kptv.com 2016-01-01 17:41:00 Crater Lake National Park has broken its snowfall record for December, with close to 197 inches of snow recorded. The Mail Tribune reports the previous record of 196 inches was set in December 1948. The park currently has a snowpack of about 100 inches. The readings are taken in an area near the park's visitor center. A long-term forecast predicts southwest Oregon will see close to average snowfall and precipitation in January, with a slightly wetter-than-normal period through March. Source: Associated Press

Man dies after being attacked at home in Preston, England by his own dog while having an epileptic fit Irish Independent 2016-01-01 19:27:00 The family of a man who died after he was attacked by his dog whilst suffering an epileptic fit have paid tribute to a "happy lad who was always smiling". Liam Hewitson, 22, of Preston in England, was mauled by his dog Trigger after suffering a fit when he was at home alone, police said. He sustained significant injuries to his face and neck and died at the scene. In a tribute his family said: "Liam was a happy lad who was always smiling and had lots of friends. He had a beautiful personality and he will be missed by his dad Phil, girlfriend Jess and sisters Melissa and Aleisha and brother Cordell." Police have confirmed there will not be a criminal investigation and they are treating the incident as "a tragic accident". The dog, which was a male pit bull cross and not a banned breed, is thought to have been around five or six years old and had belonged to Liam since its birth.

Comment: Some other cases of fatal dog attacks during the past two weeks include: Baby found dead in Fraser Town, India; police suspect dog pack attack 3 yr old boy dies following attack by stray dog pack in Warangal, India Young girl killed by dog in Miami Dade, Florida

New Jersey hit by rare earthquake 4 New York 2016-01-02 15:37:00 An unusual and mild earthquake struck in New Jersey on Saturday, officials said. The 2.1-magnitude shake up hit Ringwood, New Jersey, at 12:58 a.m., according to the United States Geological Survey.

Garbage truck falls into sinkhole in Atlanta, Georgia Doug Richards 11alive.com 2015-12-30 11:03:00 The Atlanta Watershed department is investigating why a sinkhole formed this morning in SW Atlanta, damaging a garbage truck. The truck, hauling for a private company, was traveling west of Fair street when the pavement beneath collapsed. It formed a six-feet-deep hole, and the left rear end of the truck fell into it. No one was injured. Watershed department spokeswoman Lillian Govus said the cause of the sinkhole was a breach in a large underground terracotta pipe. The pipe carried combined sewage - rain water and waste water. Govus said the pipe collapsed because of excessive flow due to recent rains.

US Midwest floods: Illinois Governor activates National Guard; death toll rises Chicago Tribune 2016-01-02 03:49:00 The worst of the dangerous, deadly winter flood is over in the St. Louis area, leaving residents of several water-logged communities to spend the first day of 2016 assessing damage, cleaning up and figuring out how to bounce back — or in some cases, where to live. Farther south, things were getting worse: Record and near-record crest predictions of the Mississippi River and levee breaks threatened homes in rural southern Missouri and Illinois. Two more levees succumbed Friday, bringing to at least 11 the number of levee failures. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday ordered National Guard troops to active duty to assist in recovery efforts. Rauner visited six southern Illinois communities Friday. In a statement on Friday, he said the step means soldiers will be ready at a moment's notice for local communities as flood waters could continue to rise over the weekend. About 20 soldiers were ordered to report to the guard's Marion Readiness Center. The flood, fueled by more than 10 inches of rain over a three-day period that began last weekend, is blamed for 22 deaths. Searchers were still looking for four missing people — one teen in Illinois, two men in Missouri and a country music singer in Oklahoma. The body of one missing Illinois teen, 18-year-old Devan R. Everett of Christian County, was found in floodwaters near Taylorville, the Springfield State Journal-Register reported.

20ft deep sinkhole opens up in Wales, homes evacuated Jamie Bullen Evening Standard 2016-12-31 07:28:00 Homes have been evacuated in south Wales after a street was closed off when a 20ft deep sinkhole opened up in a pavement. Emergency crews were called to Coronation Terrace in Nantyffyllon, Maesteg, at around 8am on Thursday following reports someone had fallen in the hole. Firefighters said a man had been "recovered prior to arrival" and did not need to go to hospital. Residents from "six or seven" flats were told to leave their homes by emergency services after the hole emerged. Highways inspector Neil Minchington told BBC Wales: "There's about six or seven flats that were evacuated. "We'll assess the situation to see if it is safe to allow the tenants back in this evening."

Cyclone Ula: Hundreds evacuated as first Pacific cyclone of 2016 slams into Tonga ABC Online 2016-01-02 04:46:00 Hundreds of people have evacuated from their homes in Tonga as severe tropical cyclone Ula slammed into the tiny Pacific kingdom. There are no reported casualties as Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva declared a state of emergency before the storm hit "in order to prevent or minimise the loss of human life, illness or injury". The northern island of Vava'u took the brunt of the category three cyclone which was packing winds up to 150 kilometres per hour. "We are very happy that there are no casualties, police checked with hospitals and town officers to confirm that," the chairman of the National Emergency Management Office, Siaosi Sovaleni, told a press conference. "We had 11 evacuation centres, over 390 people were relocated to these evacuation centres." Ula formed early on Thursday in the South Pacific between Tuvalu and Samoa and was initially expected to remain a category one storm as it tracked west-south-westerly. However, it intensified to category two late on Thursday then to category three as it approached Tonga.

Signs and portents: Europe's winter warmth puts nature in tailspin Angus Mackinnon and Jordane Bertrand PhysOrg 2016-01-01 02:34:00 The daffodils are out in London, plum trees are blossoming in Milan and asparagus tips are pushing through the soil in eastern France. Across Europe, unseasonably warm winter weather has left the natural world in a spin with plants, insects and animals convinced Spring must be just around the corner. The disruption of established weather patterns has put strawberries on festive menus in France, ensured an abundance of game in Germany's woodlands and seen tomatoes ripen for an exceptional third time this year on Italian balconies. With grass still growing in the north of Scotland well into December, the famous Royal Dornoch links put the traditional switch to winter greens on hold and kept its mowers buzzing into the final days of 2015. But alongside the serendipitous consequences for gourmets and golfers, unusual climatic conditions have also been linked to more unsettling trends.

Comment: As the Earth's weather patterns become more chaotic, there can be wild temperature swings, but the general trend is still to cooling. It will be interesting to see whether this trend continues or ends abruptly.

Magnitude 5.8 earthquake hits near New Zealand's coast Sputnik 2016-01-01 22:39:00 A 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Friday struck New Zealand's coast, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Tremors were registered at 15:02 GMT. The epicenter was located about 50 miles north-east of Raoul Island at the depth of approximately 61 miles. No information about the damage or casualties was immediately available. Parts of New Zealand lie on the so-called Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped string of volcanoes around the Pacific Rim, where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur.

Comment: Strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Indian Ocean south of Australia

Fire in the Sky

Mysterious fireball seen in northern Thailand Sasiwan Mokkhasen Khaosod English 2016-01-02 16:58:00 The sky in northern Thailand this morning saw not only the second light of 2016, but also a 30-second long fireball. Aside from in Lampang, the mysterious light was also seen in many places up north including Chiang Rai, Loei and as far south as Phitsanulok. The fireball that appeared at 6am Saturday was not a meteor but space debris, a collection of defunct man-made objects from old satellites or spent rocket stages, falling into the earth's atmosphere, an expert from Bundit Observatory believes. In an interview with Matichon, Worawit Tanwutthibundit said the slow speed of the fireball indicated that it's not a falling star which normally travels at 80-kilometer per minute. The moving object was only travelling at around 20 or 30-kilometers a minute, the speed of space junk.

Health & Wellness

Flashback: Telecom company's patent admits: Non-thermal exposures to wireless radiation is "genotoxic", causes "clear damage to hereditary material" Stop Smart Meters 2013-03-11 19:52:00 AG, a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland, filed U.S. and international patent applications for an innovative system to reduce "electrosmog" from wireless local networks (i.e., Wi-Fi) in 2003. This patent application acknowledged the cancer risk from exposure to wireless radiation eight years before the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer declared that radiofrequency energy, including cell phone and Wi-Fi radiation, is a "possible carcinogen" to humans, like DDT and lead. Furthermore, the application acknowledged that low-intensity, non-thermal exposures to wireless radiation is genotoxic. This is critical because the current U.S. and UK regulatory standard for wireless radiation, established in 1996, does not protect us from non-thermal exposures.

At C.D.C., debate behind recommendations on cellphone risk Danny Hakim NY Times 2016-01-01 19:22:00 When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published new guidelines 18 months ago regarding the radiation risk from cellphones, it used unusually bold language on the topic for the American health agency: "We recommend caution in cellphone use."  The agency's website previously had said that any risks "likely are comparable to other lifestyle choices we make every day." Within weeks, though, the C.D.C. reversed course. It no longer recommended caution, and deleted a passage specifically addressing potential risks for children.

Comment: When we viewed the CDC's frequently asked questions (FAQ) web page regarding cell phone radiation on January 2, 2016 we found that it said: Can using a cell phone cause cancer? There is no scientific evidence that provides a definite answer to that question. Some organizations recommend caution in cell phone use. More research is needed before we know if using cell phones causes health effects. So you see how readily the CDC sneakily avoids answering the question by simply saying what amounts to "scientists are arguing about their findings", which of course leaves consumers thinking that it's probably a safe technology and it's Ok to radiate their brain. There is plenty of research which shows that giga-hertz radiation ( including cell phone and WiFi networks ) does cause lots of considerably dangerous health issues. See the article 34 scientific studies showing adverse biological effects + damage from Wi-Fi and also see Telecom company's patent admits: Non-thermal exposures to wireless radiation is "genotoxic", causes "clear damage to hereditary material"

Alternatives to the prescription painkiller epidemic Bob Gorman Organic Lifestyle Magazine 2015-12-22 18:18:00 The world and its people are clearly in a lot of pain. Whether it's physical pain or emotional pain, the response of the medical community has been to prescribe drugs to medicate it. Using prescription drugs like Vicoden and Percoset to treat chronic physical pain results in approximately 17,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. That's an increase of more than 400% since 1999. Even over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen can prove dangerous with prolonged use or taken in large doses. While the U.S. leads the world in addiction to prescription opioid painkillers, Australia currently ranks second. The Australian Medical Association recently declared the rising statistics a "national emergency". Nearly all countries have reported an increase of addiction to prescription drugs. According to the Psychology Today, a large percentage of people receiving drug treatment in Europe are addicted to benzodiazepines. This class of prescription drug is commonly used to treat anxiety and includes popular drugs like Xanax.

Comment: The New Epidemic Sweeping Across America (and it's Not a Disease) Prescription drugs are now killing far more people than illegal drugs, and while most major causes of preventable deaths are declining, those from prescription drug use are increasing, an analysis of recently released data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by theLos Angeles Times revealed. The Times analysis of 2009 death statistics, the most recent available, showed: For the first time ever in the US, more people were killed by drugs than motor vehicle accidents 37,485 people died from drugs, a rate fueled by overdoses on prescription pain and anxiety medications, versus 36,284 from traffic accidents Drug fatalities more than doubled among teens and young adults between 2000 and 2008, and more than tripled among people aged 50 to 69 Again, these drug-induced fatalities are not being driven by illegal street drugs; the analysis found that the most commonly abused prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.

Harvard study: Police killings a major public health concern Sayer Ji Greenmedinfo.com 2016-12-29 17:53:00 According to a new Harvard study, police violence kills more U.S. citizens, annually, than the flu and pneumonia combined. So why aren't law-enforcement-related deaths being counted, tracked, and reported, like any other form of mortality affecting the public health? A highly concerning new report published in the journal PLoS titled "Police Killings and Police Deaths Are Public Health Data and Can Be Counted," reveals that police killings as reported by 122 major U.S. cities were responsible for more citizen deaths in 2015 than influenza and pneumonia deaths put together.

Congress's $12 billion giveaway to health insurers Betsy McCaughey New York Post 2016-12-15 17:44:00 As Congress rushes to pass an omnibus tax/spending bill for the coming year, it's concocting a special tax break for health-insurance companies. And it amounts to a back-door bailout. Until this week, insurance-company lobbyists and their allies in the White House were pushing for an outright bailout, spending taxpayer dollars to cover what insurers are losing on ObamaCare plans to persuade insurers to keep selling them.

Is the ketogenic diet the holy grail of anti-ageing? Mithu Storoni, MD, PhD Green Med Info 2015-12-28 14:52:00 A ketogenic diet may unlock the secrets to the fountain of youth. In the late 1940s, Denham Harman PhD, an accomplished chemist, became so fascinated with the idea of finding a cure to ageing that he decided to go back to school and study medicine. In 1953, while still an intern at Berkeley in California, he proposed a radical new theory called the 'the free radical theory of ageing'. [i] In this theory, he declared that ageing is caused by reactive oxygen species accumulating within cells. Denham then noticed that it wasn't simply the accumulation of reactive oxygen species that affected lifespan, but the damage these reactive oxygen species were inflicting on mitochondria. So, he modified his theory and gave it a new name: 'the mitochondrial theory of ageing'. Harman changed the course of anti-ageing research forever.

Comment: There are numerous studies on the benefits of the ketogenic diet. See this forum thread for real word examples: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Flexible working can make you ill because you stay stressed all the time, say experts Daily Mail 2016-01-02 15:01:00 Flexible hours can make employees ill because they find it harder to switch off from their work, experts have said. Working away from the office or part-time can create an 'always on' culture that keeps stress hormones persistently high, they claim. Their arrangements can also irritate colleagues who feel flexible workers have a cushier work-life balance and so could leave them isolated socially.

Hershey drops sugar beets because of GM concerns Tom Meersman Star Tribune 2016-12-27 02:27:00 Something was different about a lot of the Hershey's kisses in your stocking this year: The popular chocolates no longer contain sugar made in Minnesota. For decades, the Hershey Co. has used sugar made from both sugar beets and sugar cane, but it decided earlier this year to stop buying beet sugar because it comes from genetically modified, or GM, seeds that some consumers don't like. Hershey, with 2014 sales of $7.4 billion and more than 80 brands of candy sold around the world, was a huge customer for beet sugar farmers, and its decision was significant enough to be noted earlier this month at two annual shareholder meetings of sugar beet cooperatives. David Berg, president and CEO of American Crystal Sugar in Moorhead, Minn., the nation's largest sugar beet co-op, told members gathered in Fargo, N.D., that the anti-GM movement is one of the industry's biggest challenges. And Kurt Wickstrom, president and CEO of Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative in Wahpeton, N.D., said that anti-GM groups are a real threat whose claims need to be countered.

Comment: See more: DARK Act shocks consumers with Non-GMO label for GMO fed meat & dairy How Bill Gates' evil empire is causing the breakdown of traditional farming and local food economies

Science of the Spirit

The benefits of going through hard times Carolyn Gregoire Huffington Post 2016-01-02 19:48:00 Psychologists studying post-traumatic growth find that many people come to thrive in the aftermath of adversity. This excerpt is from the new book Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind, by psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman and HuffPost Senior Writer Carolyn Gregoire. One of Frida Kahlo's most famous self-portraits depicts her in a hospital bed naked and bleeding, connected by a web of red veins to floating objects that include a snail, a flower, bones, and a fetus.Henry Ford Hospital, the 1932 surrealist painting, is a powerful artistic rendering of Kahlo's second miscarriage. Kahlo wrote in her diaries that the painting "carries with it the message of pain." The painter was known for channeling the experience of multiple miscarriages, childhood polio, and a number of other misfortunes into her iconic self-portraits, and a real understanding of her work requires some knowledge of the suffering that motivated it.

Empathic people are natural targets for sociopaths - protect yourself Dr Jane and Tim McGregor Addiction Today 2013-10-30 00:08:00 The empathy trap: therapists and counselors almost by definition are empathic, to facilitate clients' recovery - but this quality can mean those carers are targets for sociopaths, aided by what Dr Jane & Tim McGregor call "apaths". The first UK article on this cruel sport shows how to identify and thus avoid it. People targeted by a sociopath often respond with self-deprecating comments like "I was stupid", "what was I thinking" of "I should've listened to my gut instinct". But being involved with a sociopath is like being brainwashed. The sociopath's superficial charm is usually the means by which s/he conditions people. Comment: Tragically, the shame and embarrassment of having been conned and duped often keeps people quiet about what happened to them, which then further obscures the machinations of the sociopaths and results in other people getting duped by them as well. If people got over this shame and embarrassment, they could network with others about these predators and then they would be exposed for what they are and less able to destroy the lives of others. On initial contact, a sociopath will often test other people's empathy, so questions geared towards discovering if you are highly empathic or not should ring alarm bells. People with a highly empathic disposition are often targeted. Those with lower levels of empathy are often passed over, though they can be drawn in and used by sociopaths as part of their cruel entertainment. Sociopaths make up 25% of the prison population, committing over twice as many aggressive acts as other criminals. The reoffending rate of sociopaths is about double that of other offenders, and for violent crimes it is triple. But not all sociopaths are found in prison. There is the less-visible burden of sociopath-induced emotional trauma which, if left unchecked, can lead to anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Comment: In fact, one could argue that only the sociopath/psychopath "failures" are in prison, while the successful ones, through their chronic lies, deception, and manipulation, remain free to torment others and destroy lives. As renowned psychopathy expert Robert Hare, author ofWithout Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us and Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work, has said: "If I wasn't studying psychopaths in prison, I'd do it at the stock exchange" Chronically traumatized people often exhibit hyper-vigilant, anxious and agitated behavior, symptoms such as tension headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, abdominal pain, back pain, tremors and nausea. Exposure to and interaction with a sociopath in childhood can leave lifelong scars. This can apply to people in therapy - and for those who in recovery trained as therapists, re-exposure as an adult can trigger old emotions and PTSD. This article is not about sociopaths per se but about surviving the harm they cause.

Comment: Listen to an interview with the authors on the Sott Radio Network: The Empathy Trap - Understanding how predators manipulate people's strengths and weaknesses If you're interested in learning more about the damage wrought by psychopaths/sociopaths on empathic people, you might be interested in the following: Defense Against the Psychopath The way of the psychopath The Trick of the Psychopath's Trade: Make Us Believe that Evil Comes from Others Political Ponerology: A Science on The Nature of Evil adjusted for Political Purposes Ponerology 101: Lobaczewski and the origins of Political Ponerology

Embracing discomfort as a path to freedom and integrity Miki Kashtan Ph.D. Psychology Today 2016-01-01 00:00:00 In preparation for writing this piece, I read one that I wrote five years ago called "Why I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions." I wanted to remember what I wrote to see what I might want to add. I discovered that it was all there... I still don't make resolutions, for the same reasons. First, because I still cannot and don't want to make predictions about the future, as I see the very attempt to control the future as one of the core failures of western civilization. Also, because I still worry about resolutions turning into weapons of self-destruction. What do I do instead? For me, it's about coming back, again and more deeply, to my choice to embrace discomfort as a path to freedom and integrity. That is what I write about below in greater detail. Reflecting about myself, I am still the person who knows that my freedom depends on my willingness to step outside my comfort zone - the habits and beliefs that have been ingrained in me through socialization and trauma. Any time I can do that, I have more trust that I am actually choosing rather than being run by my past and my fears. Put differently, I would say that the most reliable forms of freedom are internal: It is my choices in how I respond to life, much more than what life brings to me, that I experience as freedom.