doctors learned why Ukranians dying

All victims of the virus in Bukovyna (22 people at the age of 20-40) died not from bilateral pneumonia, as was previously thought, but as a result of viral distress syndrome, i.e the total destruction of the lungs.

At first the cardio-pulmonary insufficiency comes, and consequently cardiogenic shock is developed, which causes cardiac standstill and death, told the chief of bureau of the Chernivtsi regional forensic examination, doctor of science, Professor Viktor Bachynsky, UNIAN reports.

"During a bilateral pneumonia some morphological picture is observed. As of data of deaths, there is no such morphological picture. The virus, which causes death, is very aggressive, it does not strike the trachea, but immediately gets into the lungs and causes heavy swelling and solid hemorrhage. Mixed types of parainfluenza and influenza A/N1N1 lead to this state. This is a very toxic strain, which has not yet answered to the treatment of the Ministry of Health", - said Viktor Bachinsky.

According to him, there is a need to change the treatment standards, because those which were used earlier, resulted in nothing – doctors failed to save all people infected with the virus in the reanimation. The belt ventilators did not help also.

For this reason a group of professors of Chernivtsi Medical University appealed to the Ministry of Health and National Security and Defense Council with a demand to review the standards of treatment of patients in Bukovyna. Scientists-morphologists sent to Kyiv reports, studies and analysis of critically ill patients and people who died of virus.

Viktor Bachinsky noted that the virus is extremely toxic, it is able to penetrate not only through respiratory apparatus but also through the eyes. Chernovtsy scientists recommend in any case use masks and even wear protective spectacles. An important condition to prevent deterioration of the situation is also the observance of quarantine regime.

source: MIGnew.com.ua

many updates today at Lord Stirling's blog Europe

problem areas

1. Sino-Indian rivalry fuels Nepal's turmoil

excerpt:

The Nepalese Maoists, together with Peru's ferocious Shining Path insurgents, have affiliated themselves with the Revolutionary International Movement, organized by American Marxist Bob Avakian.

Avakian supported the notorious Gang of Four in China and left the United States for France to avoid criminal charges after an obstreperous demonstration in 1979 at the White House sought to disrupt paramount leader Deng Xiaoping's visit.

Prachanda considers his "Prachanda Path" as embodying the line of pure ideological succession from Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong, and the CPN-M's reachout to China was very much a matter of geopolitical necessary, not ideological affinity.

read more @ asia times


2. russian arms to shatter US's far-fetched monopoly in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is currently in talks with Russia regarding the purchase of arms and military hardware. Konstantin Birulin, deputy director of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation stated that the sides were discussing possible forms of cooperation on all forms of arms.
herefore, Moscow has officially confirmed the fact of the talks, which reportedly started in 2007.

Saudi arms market has been controlled by the USA and Britain since Soviet times. Saudi kings were seriously concerned about the USSR’s intentions to establish pro-communist regimes in Arab states. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Arab states preferred to stick with their old partners.

In 2007, when Russia’s Putin arrived in Saudi Arabia for official talks, it became clear that the state of affairs may change. Putin had a meeting with Saudi King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz al Saud. Among other issues, the officials discussed the question of Russia’s possible military cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

In October, French media reported that Riyadh had signed an agreement with Moscow to purchase over 150 Russia’s Mi-35 helicopters (Hind on NATO classification) and Mi-17 (Hip). The deal was reportedly evaluated at over $2 billion. In addition, Arabia signed a contract with Russia to purchase state-of-the-art missile defense systems. The contract was about S-400 and Buk-M2E systems.

The information about those contracts has never been acknowledged officially.

read more @ pravda


3. Israel jolted by Hezbollah's intelligence "infiltration"

A wave of stormy questions has been on the rise within Israeli security and military apparatuses after Yedioth Aharonoth unveiled a document demonstrating the level of Hezbollah’s knowledge of Israeli activities, deployments and tactics in northern occupied Palestine.

The widely read Israeli paper revealed that Hezbollah knows just about every detail concerning Israel’s military, particularly the 91st brigade in the north.

Perhaps the most pressing concern for the Israeli command is that Hezbollah might have been able to infiltrate sensitive security services thus acquiring top secret documents and data.

read more @ al manar tv


4. Medvedev sees Russia as highly developed superpower with technologies of the future

Dmitry Medvedev delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address Thursday, November 12. It became Medvedev’s second address as the president. In the speech, Medvedev touched upon a wide range of issues – from the consequences of the economic crisis in Russia to reforms in education and the political field, the situation in the Northern Caucasus and other questions.

The head of state put forward a number of political initiatives in his speech. The president entrusted the government with elaborating effective conditions for activities of its agencies in the Northern Caucasus. An official responsible for the state of affairs in the explosive region must appear in the Cabinet of Ministers.

“To be frank, the level of corruption and violence in the republics of the Northern Caucasus is unprecedented. Obviously, the roots of many problems lie in the problems of the economic underdevelopment, first and foremost. The majority of those living in the region have no normal living perspectives. We will be paying first priority attention to the solution of people’s socio-economic problems,” Medvedev said.

read more @ pravda


5. map Northern Caucasus: source



















6. formerly the Khazar Empire: source

women and children first

1. Ghana: shocking American's pedophile sex-tape scandal condemned

A disturbing story about a sex tape showing a 65- year-old retired male teacher from Minnesota in the United States of America having sex with at least 8 children, between the ages of 6 and 11, from Ghana, has hit the west African country’s newspaper headlines. The coverage approach with sexually explicit photographs by the the Daily Guide, first to publish the story, has been harshly criticised by civil society as well as the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) as “highly unethical, grossly indecent... pornographic” and “racist”.

read more @ afrik.com


2. respect laws of Ghana - ministry cautions tourists

The Ministry of Tourism has appealed to tourists visiting the country to respect the laws of the land and not to engage in activities that offend the law.

With reference to the World Tourism Day celebration in Ghana, the ministry warned those intent on engaging in sex tourism that they would be dealt with according to the law.

Mr Alphonse Kumaza, an Assistant Tourism Officer of the ministry, told the Daily Graphic that sex tourism was on the rise all over the world but Ghana would not countenance such abominable practices in the name of boosting tourism.

He said paedophiles who would want to take advantage of the celebration to pose as tourists and enter the country to engage in their illicit acts would also be dealt with by the appropriate agencies which are determined to ensure that the country’s laws regarding paedophile are strongly enforced and culprits punished.

An alleged American paedophile, Patrick Ken Larbash, was arrested at Adjomanikope near Sege in the Dangme East District of the Greater Accra Region early this month.

The 65-year-old retired teacher from Minnesota, is said to have video-taped some Ghanaian children, some as young as six, performing oral sex on him.

Larbash is alleged to have given them toffees and food and allowed them to watch movies in his house in exchange for the despicable acts.

Larbash appeared before a Tema Circuit Court last Tuesday. Mr Kumaza said although tourism was the fourth largest foreign exchange earner for Ghana and the ministry had initiated moves to make it the highest foreign exchange earner for Ghana, it would not allow the law to be broken by visitors.



source: graphic ghana


3. pedophile plays dead in hospital

Patrick Ken Larbash, the suspected American pedophile, caused a stir at the Out Patient Department (OPD) of the Police Hospital in Accra when he lay down on the floor in the presence of shocked patients, pretending to be dead.

Narrating the incident to DAILY GUIDE , a source said Larbash was sent to the hospital when he complained of some pains on his body, since his arrest for lewd acts on children....However, the police escort took a closer look at Larbash and observed loudly that since the suspect was dead, he should be sent to the hospital morgue. The comment quickly 'resurrected' the 'dead' Larbash who suddenly jumped from the floor where he was lying and walked straight to the officer and verbally attacked him for saying he was dead. The alleged pedophile was said to have used foul words on the police officer who kept his cool, an action that threw the large crowd into prolonged laughter.

read more @ modern ghana


4. child abductions new threat in Iraq's Kirkuk

KIRKUK, Iraq - Criminal gangs in Iraq's northern oil hub of Kirkuk have been exploiting the atmosphere of chaos in Iraq caused by US-led invasion to launch a wave of abductions targeting the scions of wealthy families.

"Since September, the kidnapping of children has increased," said the city's deputy police chief General Turhan Yussef. "We know of at least 10 cases.

"Two were freed by our forces, one child was released after payment of a ransom, three others were after direct negotiations between the parents and the abductors and four, including two girls, are still being held," he said.

Those still in captivity are a 12-year-old Sunni Arab, a 13- and a 14-year-old Turkmen and a 16-year-old Kurd. Ethnicity is not an issue for the criminals.

Last Thursday, the police announced the liberation of two 14-year-old Turkmen boys, kidnapped by gangsters as they were being chauffeured to school in the centre of Kirkuk.

Ahmed Mohammed Nur al-Din is the son of a famous Kirkuk ophthalmologist, and Judat Sonay, from a wealthy family. Ahmed's family refused to pay a ransom, but Judat's parents shelled out 50,000 dollars (33,300 euros) to get him back.

The wealthy now live in fear of sending their children off to class.

read more @ middle east online


5. systemic failings contributed to boy's death in cell, jury finds

An inquest jury has returned a damning narrative verdict over the systemic failings in a young offenders institution that contributed to the death of a troubled 15-year-old boy.

Liam McManus had been recalled to custody for breaching the terms of his licence under a supervision order and had 23 days left to serve when he was found hanging in his cell at Lancaster Farm young offenders institution almost two years ago.

The seven-week inquest in Lancaster heard evidence that Liam, from St Helens, Merseyside, had suffered significant loss and trauma in his short life. He was taken into care at a young age, had a history of self-harm and vulnerability and was well known to social services and the young offenders service.

Jurors heard evidence of failings by many agencies involved in his care. Prison staff did not recognise Liam's risk level and needs, with officers accepting his response to questions without challenge and not referring to documentation that provided critical information about him. Wing officers did not have immediate access to the information as it was kept in a room separate to the wings.

..."Yet again an inquest jury have found systemic failings resulting in a child's death and yet despite the deaths of 30 children since 1990 lessons are not learned. The ongoing systematic failings exposed by these child deaths in custody should be looked at as part of a public inquiry into the treatment of children in conflict with the law."

read more @ guardian


6. US congress to the "rescue" : 21 senators urge Obama to press Japan on child abductions

WASHINGTON —

U.S. Sen Jim Webb urged President Barack Obama on Monday to address the issue of international parental child abductions when he meets with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Japan later this week.

...Sen Webb (D-Va), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs, urged the White House to pressure the Japanese government to resolve the outstanding cases of U.S. citizens who have had their children unlawfully taken to Japan by their spouses.

‘‘Many parents have not seen or heard from their children in years,’’ the letter, whose signatories include former U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry, said. ‘‘We cannot sit back and wait while these children grow up without one parent.’‘


oh yeah. definitely the biggest tragedy around. read more @ japan today


7. Special Investigation: The MYTH of Britian's foreign sex slaves

For years ministers have insisted that thousands of women are being smuggled into Britain and forced into prostitution. But when police staged a multi-million pound operation to smash the gangs, how many traffickers did they find? Not one.

The overblown language was more red-top tabloid than heavyweight Government announcement. Issued by the Home Office, the press release bragged about the success of the largest-ever police crackdown on human trafficking - 'one of the worst crimes threatening our society'.

Breathlessly it went on to detail how women were being brought to this country and then 'sold as commodities for the purposes of sexual exploitation'.

But now, it continued, thanks to nationwide police operation Pentameter 2, a staggering 528 criminals involved in this 'abhorrent crime' had been arrested.

...Academics and experts say that for years they have been warning the Government that the number of trafficked women working in the sex industry is far fewer than was being claimed.

But despite these warnings, they say that Labour ministers and other feminist- dominated organisations have repeatedly relied upon these distorted figures to further their own vested interests and political agendas.

As a result, it seems likely that millions of pounds of public funding has been spent trying to fix a problem that is far less widespread than portrayed.

Of course, many women experience unimaginable horrors when working in the sex industry - and it is despicable that in this day and age they are reduced to selling themselves.

But this makes it even more vitally important that the Government has accurate statistics and facts to hand so they can tackle the many problems presented by the murky world of the sex worker.

OH PHEW NEVERMIND THEN HMM? IT'S ALL A MYTH NOTHING TO SEE. - ed. - more @ daily mail

scarcity in the financial world

1. US pay czar faces dilemma in balancing Wall Street's concerns and public outrage

Kenneth Feinberg, appointed by the Treasury Department to review compensation packages, imposed steep pay cuts in the seven firms that received taxpayers' money, including Citi group Inc., General Motors Corp. (GM) and American International Group Inc. (AIG).

Wall Street criticized the plan as too harsh while the public and congressmen said it was too easy on executives.

At a conference in Washington on Thursday, Feinberg conceded he was "very concerned" about the possibility his pay cuts may drive talent away from companies bailed out by U.S. taxpayers.

there are only so many psychopaths to go around you know!! read more @ chinaview

2. foreign banks to feel main impact of Taiwan MOU with China

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – If Taiwan signs a Memorandum of Understanding on the liberalization of the financial market with China, it is foreign banks which will bear the brunt, Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Sean Chen said Friday.

The two sides agreed on the need for an MOU last April, but the document has still not been signed. The latest problem is reportedly China’s refusal to use Chen’s full official title.

The FSC chief said that if as a result of the MOU, Chinese banks were allowed to set up one office in Taiwan each, it would be the 39 foreign banks already present who would feel most of the impact. The banks from China would be chasing the same major corporate customers as the banks from other countries, Chen said.

In the other direction, Taiwanese banks opening offices in China would draw Taiwanese business people away from foreign banks, he said.

there's only so many customers to go around you know!! read more @ taiwan news


3. Berlin tries to torpodo EU deal with US for bank data exchange

German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said on Friday Berlin would try to stop an EU agreement to transfer bank information to the United States.

“The federal government has distanced itself from the SWIFT agreement,” she told the Berliner Zeitung daily. “I consider it unfortunate that the EU is trying to push through this agreement according to the old rules one day before the Lisbon Treaty goes into effect.”

She pointed to the fact that the treaty reorganising the European Union’s inner workings will give the European Parliament a greater say in such matters like the data transfer agreement.

But the minister also said she had problems with the substance of the deal, which is meant to help US officials track terrorist finances.

“I am still critical of how the extent of information transfer to the USA and the lacking legal recourse,” Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said.

source: the local

nothing to see here

1. Mangyans, priests protest mining project

MANILA, Philippines—Mangyans and priests, supported by bishops, are taking their protest to Metro Manila and will go on an indefinite hunger strike beginning next week to protest mining operations that they fear will destroy a contiguous watershed area in Oriental Mindoro.

...The Norwegian mining project, which will cover 11,218 hectares, is said to be within the ancestral domain claim of the Alangan and Tadyawan indigenous Mangyan communities.

According to the Ateneo-based Simbayang Lingkod Bayan, “the large scale mining operations of Intex Resources may bring about the destruction of a contiguous watershed and that can lead to the displacement of several indigenous Mangyan communities in Oriental Mindoro.”

The mining project will span four towns—Victoria, Pola and Socorro in Oriental Mindoro and Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro. It is expected to produce 100 million-120 million tons of ore over a period of 15-20 years. Mindoro’s nickel laterite deposit is believed to be one of the biggest in the world.

...SLB said the people of Mindoro are furious with the DENR’s approval of Environmental Compliance Certificate for the operation of the nickel project by Intex Resources. The ECC was issued last October 14 by Environment Secretary Lito Atienza despite strong and valid opposition from the community, the local government and the church.

The national anti-mining network Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM, Alliance to Stop Mining) had earlier called for Atienza’s ouster, saying the former Manila mayor committed “dreadful acts” when he approved the project. Intex, on the other hand, had said the protesters had failed to present their arguments during the public hearings.

read more @ inquirer.net


2. gas distribution facility blows up in S. Russia -- other gas explosions in Russia

ROSTOV-ON-DON, November 13 (RIA Novosti) - A powerful explosion hit a gas distribution facility in southern Russia's Stavropol Territory on Friday, a local emergencies spokesman said.

The blast occurred at about 1:40 p.m. Moscow time (10:40 GMT). An emergency brigade and firefighters are currently working at the scene.

According to preliminary data, there are no casualties.

The causes of the blast have yet to be established.

source: ria novosti - related stories at link



3. englishman arrested in brazil for carrying 1000 live spiders

Brazil's federal police arrested here an Englishman who intended to leave the country with 1,000 live spiders packed in two suitcases, the authorities said Thursday.

Police said the arrest took place Wednesday at Rio de Janeiro's international airport, with the help of agents for the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).

Criminal charges were set to be pressed against the man, whose identity was not revealed, and he faced a fine of up to $2.3 million, the authorities stressed.

The spiders were confiscated and were sent on to the Rio de Janeiro National Museum, where they were to be studied by experts.

source: brazil news

sometimes the important details go missing

1. Texas man drives Bugatti into pond; blames bird

La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist says the man claimed he lost concentration while driving his French-built Bugatti Veyron on Wednesday because the bird swooped into sight. Gilchrist says the driver dropped his phone, reached down to pick it up and strayed into the brackish water in La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston. Gilchrist does not know if the car can be salvaged but said that "salt water isn't good for anything."Police say a low-flying pelican distracted a driver in Texas, causing him to veer off a road and drive his million-dollar sports car into a salt marsh.

He says the man, whose identity has not been released, was not injured in the accident.

source: taiwan news


2. who are the 50 most influential jews of 2009?

excerpt:

One aspect of this process hasn't changed: Each year, the Forward staff debates how to include those Jews whose impact in the past year has been dramatic - and damaging. We take no pleasure in highlighting misdeeds and embarrassments caused by fellow Jews, but they, too, are part of our story.

Consider this: Last year at this time, only those in the know had heard of Bernard Madoff; now his name is synonymous with the worst kind of greed and betrayal. Last year at this time, J. Ezra Merkin's name was associated with his revered, philanthropic family; now he is being sued in connection with his alleged role in Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Last year at this time, few might have guessed that Solomon Dwek, son of a prominent rabbi, was a cooperating witness in an FBI sting that nabbed New Jersey politicians and prominent members of his Syrian Jewish community. .....[IN ORGAN TRAFFICKING - they forgot to mention that part. - ED..]

more @ haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1128026.html

note: Michael Oren #2


3. White House counsel to resign

White House Counsel Gregory Craig, who has tried to lead the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison, intends to resign on Friday, the Washington Post and the New York Times reported. Quoting associates and people familiar with the situation, the papers said in their online editions that Craig had decided to resign, ending months of speculation over whether he would stay as President Barack Obama's top lawyer.

The White House declined to comment on the reports.

read more @ al manar tv

keep your eye on the ball. it's gold.

1. Irish priest freed in Philippines

DUBLIN, Ireland, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An elderly Irish Catholic priest kidnapped by rebels in the Philippines was freed Wednesday, government officials in Dublin said.

The Rev. Michael Sinnott, 79, was delivered to police and government officials in Zamboanga in the predawn hours, the Irish public broadcaster RTE reported.

The Foreign Affairs Department said no ransom was paid by the Irish government. The kidnappers, described by government officials as gunmen aligned with a local rebel commander, had demanded $2 million before they would release the priest.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the dominant Muslim rebel group in the Philippines, was said to be involved in securing Sinnott's freedom. The priest, a member of the Missionaries of St. Columban, was abducted Oct. 11.

read more @ upi asia


2. Sinnot 'very sure' captors not MILF

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) It was not the Moro Islamic Liberation Front but “original Lumad” from Mindanao that kidnapped Father Michael Sinnott, the Irish missionary himself said Thursday, hours after he was freed by his captors, a month following his abduction.

“They were not MILF. I’m very sure of that,” Sinnott told a press conference at the Villamor Air Base where he was flown by his Philippine Air Force Fokker plane from Zamboanga City.

It’s a group of “original Lumad” in Mindanao, said Sinnott, who was kidnapped in Pagadian City last October 11.

Sinnott’s statement disputed claims by government officials that it was the MILF that abducted the Irish priest – an allegation denied by the Muslim rebel group.

...Lieutenant General Ben Dolorfino, commander of the West Mindanao Command, said they have yet to gather and collate the information they got from Sinnott and their intelligence on the ground.

He added that law enforcement operations would be conducted against the perpetrators of the abduction but refused to give out their names.

read more @ inquirer.net



3. RP-MILF peace talks 'imminent' - DFA tells Clinton

MANILA, Philippines—The formal resumption of the suspended peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is “imminent,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis said Thursday.

Seguis, who also heads the Philippine peace panel negotiating with the MILF, made this statement after the press briefing with United States State Secretary Hillary Clinton.

...The peace negotiations between the two parties abruptly stopped August last year after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of the a memorandum of agreement recognizing the Moros’ right to ancestral domain over some parts of Central Mindanao.

read more @ global nation



4. Central Mindanao is full of gold and natural resources

Catholic bishops in Central Mindanao are gearing to fight the mining operation of an Australian-owned firm in Tampakan, South Cotabato.

Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez of the Diocese of Marbel, South Cotabato; Bishop Jimmy Afable of the Diocese of Digos, Davao del Sur, and Bishop Ronaldo Valles of the Diocese of Kidapawan, North Cotabato, have joined forces to stop the open-pit copper and gold mining operation of Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) at the boundary of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur provinces.

Rev. Romeo Catedral, spokesperson of the Diocese of Marbel, said the three bishops will launch a series of protest rallies to oppose the mining operations of SMI....The SMI has been conducting exploratory activities within its mining concession area believed to have contained the largest gold and copper deposits in the world.

Gutierrez assailed officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for assuring the public that SMI will not destroy the environment even if it will engage in open-pit mining....He said the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines will ask Congress to repeal the controversial Mining Act of 1995, which allows foreigners to engage in mining operations in the country.

read more @ corp watch


search results reveal plenty of trouble


5. 5000 cops deployed for Clinton arrival

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 5,000 policemen were deployed by the National Capital Region police office for the arrival of US Secretary to State Hillary Clinton this Thursday, police said.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said this number would be deployed in and along areas where Clinton and her entourage were expected to visit and pass.

Meanwhile, NCRPO spokesman Superintendent Rommel Miranda said that no alert status has been raised for Clinton's visit.

"There is no need so far," he added.

Nevertheless, police are bracing for protest actions from various groups to coincide with Clinton's visit.

As early as 8 a.m., police have monitored more than 100 members of the militant group Kilusang Mayo Uno, Anakbayan, and Courage would be staging protests at Plaza Salamangca in Manila.

source

where is the flu going next and when is the WHO going to release the sequencing?

1. 1 million infected

Ukraine's epidemic of flu and acute respiratory disorders has now affected more than a million people, the country's deputy health minister said on Tuesday.

Vasyl Lazoryshynets said the death toll from the epidemic had risen to 174, as President Viktor Yushchenko warned the country must brace itself for a second wave of infections.

...A World Health Organisation (WHO) team in Ukraine said on Monday the epidemic had slowed, but warned a second wave was likely.


...Washington (AFP) Nov 10, 2009 - Swine flu is causing "an American emergency" as employees who lack paid sick leave go to work despite being ill and spread the disease, US lawmakers were told Tuesday.

read more @ terra daily



2. timeline on WHO silence on Ukraine H1N1 sequences

"There are a lot of unknowns," he said. The crew of experts will collect samples from patients and send them to the WHO's influenza collaborating center in London for diagnosis. The WHO may have more information on Nov. 4, Hartl said.

The above comments were made on Oct 30. The WHO update of the next day indicated that H1N1 had already been confirmed in two labs in Kyviv and samples were being sent to a WHO collaborating center, Mill Hill. Since H1N1 had already been lab confirmed twice, and multiple reports of symptoms of fatal cases left little doubt that the patients had died from hemorrhagic pneumonia, the main unknown question was the sequence of the H1N1. Thus, it seemed likely that comments on sequences would be made on Nov 4.

...This morning a clinical description of 90 fatal cases again supported hemorrhagic pneumonia, which once again raised concern about genetic changes.

However, there has only been silence on the sequences and they have not been made public. These delays suggest significant changes have been found, and these changes are undergoing further analysis, such as receptor binding testing.

An update on the sequences is long overdue.

read more @ recombinomics



from today:

The number of cases and fatalities is unusually high, and has raised concerns about the sequences of the H1N1 circulating in Ukraine. Although earlier announcements from WHO indicated details on the sequences would be forthcoming, such information has been delayed. The recent release of H1N1 sequences from fatal cases in Sau Paulo, Brazil with receptor binding domain changes at position 225 (D225N and D225G) have raised concerns that similar changes will be present in the Ukraine sequences, leading to more virulence resulting in the hemorrhagic pneumonia described in fatal cases when both lungs were destroyed. Although such cases have been reported previously, the number of such cases in Ukraine was unusually high.

The sequences at Mill Hill should be released immediately.


read more @ recombinomics




3. Ukraine map

source: click through for large version or click on map to enlarge, notice where Lviv -- western Ukraine













4. Benny Steinmetz buys Canadian gold co stake

Benny Steinmetz-owned BSG Group Ltd. unit BSG Capital Markets PCC Ltd. has acquired 30 million units in Canadian mining concern Gabriel Resources Ltd. (TSX: GBU), amounting to 9% of its share capital, for $67.5 million, through a private placement. Each unit comprises one share and one warrant.

If BSG exercises all the warrants, it will increase its stake in Gabriel Resources to 16%.

Gabriel Resources is developing a gold mine in Romania through its Rosia Montana project, in which it owns 80.2%. The company has been hampered by environmental protection authorities worried about the impact of the mining on local communities. BSG's investment will help the company develop the mine, and with other financial expenditures.

The Rosia Montana mine is estimated to have some of the largest gold reserves in the world, capable of producing 510,000 ounces a year. Steinmetz's investment comes as the price of gold soared to $1,114 per ounce on Wall Street yesterday. Some analysts believe that the price will climb still higher.

source: http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000513329&fid=1725


5. the CDC and the WHO march forward with further manipulation of the data

...Various media outlets have confronted the WHO about their sweeping assumptions on the Ukraine pneumonic plague. Despite huge differences in transmission and death rates, the agency stated that it was valid to assume that most of the cases of influenza that have infected over one million people in the Ukraine were caused by the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Although the number of infections in Belarus (now one quarter million) are increasing at a rate which mimics the Ukraine plague, announcements of sequencing data on the viral strain are still being delayed by the WHO, raising concerns of a covert operation to withhold critical information that should be made public.

Media and agency reports are purposely confusing the issue in Ukraine and Belarus by reporting influenza cases based on symptoms and generalizing numbers based on faulty H1N1 swine flu data rather than lab confirmed cases which are a very small fraction of all cases being reported. Consequently, the deaths in the Ukraine and Belarus are actually much higher than what their governments and the WHO are publicly announcing.

read more @ prevent disease

afghanistan a disastrous mess

1. US air supply drop turns deadly, commandos go on killing spree after US military drops supplies in wrong spot

HERAT - Contradictory accounts of dead and injured from Afghan and Western forces and eyewitnesses have left a confused picture of an American military supply drop that appears to have gone disastrously wrong.

Up to 25 United States and Afghan military personnel, and perhaps as many as 14 civilians, were reportedly killed or injured in the incident in Bala Murghab district, an insurgent-riddled area in the northwestern corner of Badghis province on the border with Turkmenistan, this month.

A supply drop by the US military on November 4 intended for troops in the field landed in the Murghab River, a fast-moving and treacherous body of water, and the soldiers tried to retrieve it. According to the International Security Assistance Force, ISAF, two paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division were missing after the airdrop and a search was launched for them.

Local eyewitnesses said that five men went into the water and only one came out alive. They said the bodies of two were retrieved, but two went missing.

...Residents of Takht-e-Bazaar in Bala Murghab district say a helicopter containing US commandos along with Afghan soldiers landed in their area on November 6. According to eyewitnesses, the commandos began shooting indiscriminately as soon as they left the aircraft.

"They did not stop to see who is civilian, who is Talib, who is armed, who is a government employee," said Haji Mohammad Ismail, a tribal elder in Takht-e-Bazaar. "They were so angry, so wild that they even shot at Afghan military forces."

The civilians caught in the crossfire included an old man and his son, said Abdul Satar, 42, a shopkeeper who said the two men were his uncle and cousin.

read more @ asia times


2. Afghans fear infiltration from Iran -- SO MUCH CONFUSION about who is coming and going, who works for who, etc. SUCH AN EASY environment to frame people.

HERAT - Islam Qala, a small border town that forms the gateway between Iran and Afghanistan, is a focus of concern for Afghan officials fighting the Taliban insurgency because some believe Iran is using it to infiltrate guerrillas intent on destabilizing the Kabul government.

"I was working in Iran for about eight months," said one man, a former refugee, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But I got an offer from the Taliban in Gozara district [of Herat province] offering me a higher salary, so I accepted."

read more @ asia times


3. Guttenberg makes surprise Afghan visit

Under heavy security, German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Thursday to meet with international military commanders and Afghan officials.

In his first visit to the war-torn country since taking the helm at the Defence Ministry, Guttenberg was to hold talks with the head of NATO’s ISAF mission Gen. Stanley McChrystal, his Afghan counterpart Abdel Rahim Wardak and President Hamid Karzai.

...Last week, German federal prosecutors took over the investigation into the deadly NATO air strike in Afghanistan ordered by Bundeswehr Col. Georg Klein in September.

The chief state prosecutor’s office in Dresden handed the case over to the country’s highest investigators, who must now decide whether Klein’s decision to call the attack, which resulted in the death of up to 142 insurgents and civilians, was in line with international criminal law.

Just after the incident occurred, Berlin contended that only Islamist insurgents had been killed in the bombardment of two fuel trucks, but later admitted there had been an unspecified number of civilian victims. Klein was then accused of violating NATO's rules of engagement by calling the strike.

read more @ the local

opportunities in Saudi Arabia

1. banking - not enough qualified Saudis to satisfy demands of growing business sector

JEDDAH: The national banking sector is struggling to find qualified Saudis to fill vacant positions. Last month, Reuters reported that international banks and financial institutions setting up in Saudi Arabia were unable to find qualified staff thanks to an outdated education system lacking business focus.

...Global Investment House released a report in January 2009 confirming that the Saudi banking sector is an attractive destination for financial institutions worldwide despite dampening effects at the end of 2008. “This provides the Kingdom’s banks with enormous future business opportunities,” stated the report.

Therefore, there is an increase in employment opportunities locally, in addition to a booming financial sector. Alsayrafi says there is a solution for banks looking to hire highly qualified candidates without relying on overseas talent. “Shifting the focus from Western expatriates to the Middle East and focusing on young bilingual Saudis and Arabs,” he said.

read more @ arab news


2. many US mayors visiting Saudi Arabia

JEDDAH: Visiting US delegation of 16 mayors on Wednesday visited the Jeddah municipality where they had talks with Mayor Adel Fakieh who briefed them about the strategic development plan of Jeddah for the next 20 years that will be launched during the coming few days.

He told the mayors the pollution on sea shores was the most challenging problem. The delegation of US mayors were on a weeklong visit to the Kingdom to explore ways of further cementing economic ties, exchange views on issues of mutual concern and encourage trade partnerships.

read more @ arab news

3. also last May, US mayors visiting Saudi Arabia...

JEDDAH – Eleven mayors from the United States, including Bill Bell, mayor of Durham, North Carolina, are to visit Saudi Arabia, from May 7-14 on an official invitation from the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. According to information made available to Saudi Gazette, among other things, the mayors, guests of the Saudi government, will have the opportunity to learn about the Kingdom’s economy and educational system. They will meet leading Saudi business people, senior government officials as well as high school and university students and also visit an oilfield in the Eastern Province.

...Other members of the delegation include J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth, New Jersey; Ardell F. Brede, Rochester, Minnesota; Mark Burroughs, Denton, Texas; William D. ‘Bill’ Euille, Alexandria, Virginia; Bill Gluba, Davenport, Indiana; Phil Gordon, Phoenix, Arizona; Mark Mallory, Cincinnati, Ohio; John Marks, Tallahassee, Florida; James J. Schmitt, Green Bay, Wisconsin and Mark Stodola, Little Rock, Arkansas.

It may be recalled, that last November, the mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, Dannel Malloy visited Saudi Arabia as part of a delegation of American mayors. The trip was sponsored, organized and planned by the Saudi Embassy. Malloy was one of seven US mayors to join the trip as part of a delegation of the United States Conference of Mayors.

They included mayors Martin J. Chavez of Albuquerque, New Mexico; David N. Cicilline of Providence, Rhode Island; T. M. Franklin Cownie of Des Moines, Iowa; John Robert Smith of Meridian, Mississippi; Meyera E. Oberndorf of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Douglas Wilder of Richmond, Virginia. – SG


source: Saudi Gazette


4. ...for the purpose of making deals for certain important employers like defense contractors. evidently.

UPDATE (7:32pm, Thursday): Mitra Novin, Manager, California Government Relations for Boeing confirmed that "Saudi Arabia does not currently have C-17's but has shown an interest in obtaining them."

We reported earlier that Mayor Foster is currently visiting Saudi Arabia for the purposes of establishing business relationships with regards to purchases of the Long Beach-made Boeing C-17. The C-17 program has been on thin ice recently, but President Obama recently signed a defense bill that includes funding for an unspecified number of the planes. More than 5,000 jobs in Long Beach depend on the survival of the C-17 program.

BREAKING (5:30pm, Thursday): Mayor Bob Foster is currently visiting Saudi Arabia on a trip with the US Conference of Mayors, according to his office. The delegation includes about ten mayors from across America. The expense of the trip is split between Saudi Arabia and the US Conference of Mayors.

Arizona-based KTAR.com reports that Scott Smith, the Mayor of Mesa, is attending the trip in the interest of increasing business relationships, particularly in regards to helicopters that are manufactured in Mesa.

read more @ lbpost

miscellaneous deals

1. Israel and Brazil strike UAV deal worth $350m, concluded after Peres visit with Lula

Defense cooperation between Israel and Brazil is expanding. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has signed a $350 million agreement to supply unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Brazil. IAI will supply three aircraft by next April, and fourteen in all over the next few years. 15 agents of the Brazilian Federal Police are already training in Israel to use the UAVs.

ISDS advised the Federal Police and IAI in the deal. The UAVs will be used, among other things, for patrolling Brazil's borders, to prevent crime and arms smuggling. They will also be used for security for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, which will be staged in Brazil. The security budget for these events will be some $5 billion.

read more @ globes.co

2. Peres also urges Lula to get involved in Middle East "peace" process

Visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres has urged his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to join the Middle East peace process. 'Come, President, and light the light of peace in the Middle East,' Peres told Lula during a joint press conference here Wednesday after a closed-door meeting. In response, Lula said all countries in the region 'can count on Brazil for the construction of an enduring peace, the positive repercussions of which will transcend the borders of the Middle East and will benefit all mankind'. The Brazilian leader, however, said peace will not be possible 'without concessions' and without a dialogue among all parties involved in the conflict.

concessions from who? read more @ brazil news


3. China Finance Corp signs deal with Deutsche Borse to cooperate in financial information service

BEIJING, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- China Finance Corporation (CFC), a Xinhua-owned company, signed an agreement with Deutsche Borse here Thursday, starting cooperation in the field of financial information service.

Lu Wei, vice president of Xinhua, and Michael Schaefer, ambassador of Germany in China, attended the signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, the two sides will cooperate in releasing global financial news, analyzing market data, and providing information technology service. Xinhua's self-developed financial information service platform "Xinhua 08," which is running by the CFC, will distribute data of Deutsche Borse.

read more @ chinaview



4. massive blackout in Brazil isolated incident caused by three simultaneous weather disruptions blink blink blink

...Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Mines and Energy's Executive Secretary, Marcio Zimmermann, stated that adverse weather conditions were the cause of the massive blackout. According to him, those weather conditions caused three transmission lines to collapse. Those lines take the energy from the Itaipu Power Plant, located in southern Parana state, to several states in the country.

Two of the collapsed transmission lines connect the town of Ivapora, in Parana state, to Itabera, in neighboring Sao Paulo state. The third one connects Itabera to Tijuco Preto, also in Sao Paulo state. The exact point of the lines in which the problems occurred has yet to be discovered.

According to Zimmermann, the collapse of the three transmission lines could not be prevented. He stressed that no system in the world is prepared to deal with a situation of triple contingency.

yeah. read more @ chinaview

5. egypt demands return of Rosetta Stone and other artifacts from Europe and US

Egypt is asking European countries in possession of Egyptian artifacts, historical and cultural monuments to return the items to the country for the opening of Egypt’s Grand Museum at Giza, due by 2013. So far, their request has been overlooked.

"I’m not asking for all the artifacts of the British Museum to come to Egypt. I’m only asking for the unique cultural objects," he added, referring to items of great archaeological value, such as the Rosetta Stone,” says Zahi Hawass, the secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities.

read more @ afrik.com

6. Alex Wiens gets life

Alex Wiens, 28, his face covered by a hood and his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, was motionless as the court in the eastern German city of Dresden found him guilty of murdering Marwa El-Sherbini, dubbed the "veil martyr."

..."He killed Marwa not of dread or fear but out of revenge," Judge Birgit Wiegand said. "He deliberately profited from her innocence and her defencelessness."

...In a dramatic last-minute twist, a document suddenly arrived from Russia showing that Wiens had been declared unfit for military service in 2001 because of an "undifferentiated schizophrenia."

Defence lawyers said that the stabbing had not been premeditated, that Wiens always carried a knife in his backpack, and that his psychiatric condition mitigated the crime.

The courthouse, so lightly guarded when the murder took place, now resembled a maximum security prison, with some 200 police officers and snipers on hand following death threats against Wiens, who was shielded by bulletproof glass.

read more @ the local

i believe it was dear condi who said, "who could have imagined...?"

1. Russian public health official says no mutation

Moscow, November 11 (Interfax) - Russian medical specialists are of the view that the A(H1N1) virus has not undergone significant genetic mutations and has not acquired new malignant properties Gennady Onishchenko the chief public health official and head of the consumer and health protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said.

"We have been concerned about the virus's mutability from the very start. The worst concerns that it might be changing have not come true so far. Fortunately, it has not mutated in a way that we could say that it has become more aggressive," Onishchenko said.

The studies of the H1N1 virus in the Russians who have contracted it or died from complications have shown that the virus "does not have any unique mutations," he said.

"The grave cases of the disease were caused not by the virus's properties but by the properties of the organisms that it affected," he said.

source



2. so it's the organisms -- PEOPLE?? -- who have "properties" that caused the grave cases. OK HOW CAN THAT HAPPEN??

geoengineering inititives??

excerpt:

In the past few months, hundreds of bloggers around the world have reported increasing frequencies of chemtrails and aviation activity over their skies. A regimen of "training" or a "preparatory phase" appears to be a common theme.

There are several theories as to what could be aerosolized by planes to accelerate or even create a real pandemic. No theory will be corroborated by governments, however some evidence suggests that the goal of the aerosols may not necessarily be to spread viruses, but to circulate immunotoxicity over dispersed areas.

read more @ prevent disease



3. reports of chemtrails over Ukraine

Kiev, Ukraine - Authorities in the town of Kiev, Ukraine denied any spraying of "aerosolized medication" by aircraft over the city. This after it was reported that light aircrafts were seen flying over the forest market area that sprayed a aerosol substance to fight h1n1 or swine flu.

5 Sources confirms this and the local newspapers of Kiev also received hundreds of phone calls from residents and business owners close to the area the planes were spraying the suspicious substance. Not only that but local businesses and retailers were "advised" to stay indoors during the day by the local authorities.

read more @ fto.co

4. intentional mishandling of the epidemic and after all that planning??? tsk tsk tsk

excerpt:

Also Victor Yushchenko stressed that Ukraine has no state center for infectious diseases, including influenza; no specific plans and measures had been elaborated to fight the epidemics of flu; no timely modern type flu diagnostics had been established.

It made impossible for the authorities to assess the epidemic situation properly and timely, thus determining the tactics and providing right treatment and preventive measures.

read more @ Forum

5. spreading to Belarus?

As flu cases in Belarus near the quarter million mark, the World Health Organization (WHO) still remains silent on the gene sequences and cause of the pneumonic plague that has infected well over one million people in the Ukraine.

According to the press service of Belarus, there were 223,349 registered cases of influenza and acute respiratory illness (ARI) in less than eight days from November 2-9. Among the control of cities, the highest incidence rates of influenza and ARI were recorded in Rechitsa, Gomel, Mozyr, Molodechno, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Borisov, Minsk, Soligorsk. In connection with a high incidence in the Gomel region, preventive measures were introduced in all its administrative territories including 169 schools and three vocational training institutions were suspended.

As in the Ukraine, the WHO and Belarus government are not releasing the actual number deaths which are currently being suppressed. Dr. Donald Lau had stated in a previous report that the chances of the Ukrainian pandemic being the same H1N1 virus were statistically low since the high viral transmission rates were unusual for H1N1. He also stated that "there must have been some misrepresentation of actual deaths versus infection rates."

read more @ prevent disease

israel giving up on Iran, changing focus to Lebanon, Hezbollah?

1. israeli: maybe Iran is being ok but watch out for Hezbollah

Israeli occupation army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said on Tuesday that he believed Western powers would succeed in stymieing Iran's contentious nuclear program, adding that the Islamic Republic was acting "rationally" despite its extremist.

"Alterations in policy towards Iran by the international community as well as efficient pressure could bring change within Iran," the army chief added.

He also warned that Hezbollah is currently armed with tens of thousands of missiles, some of which could reach the southern city of Dimona, Tel Aviv and occupied Jerusalem.

read more @ al manar tv


2. briefing by director general Yossi Gal regarding Israeli interception of weapons ship

excerpt:

My friends, one cannot argue with facts. And you have just witnessed hundreds and maybe thousands of them, missiles, explosives, weapons, hand grenades, pieces of ammunition, etc. etc., I believe that you could see today for yourselves just one example of the type of activity that Iran and terrorist elements have been conducting in our region. This is why we have asked you to come for this special briefing.

http://tinyurl.com/ygvdvow


additional background info on something referenced therein: Sepah

excerpt:

Artesh and Sepah are both a part of Iranian Ministry of Defense but Sepah is the main one (usually guys from Sepah are chosen as minister of defense to be able to control Artesh as well). Iranian government trusts on them more than Artesh and uses them in strategic positions. For example Iranian Airports are secured by Sepah armies not Police forces (like other countries). On the other hand Sepah is the owner of many projects inside Iran. Many roads, buildings, companies, banks and ... are built or managed by Sepah.

http://tinyurl.com/yzdj8k5


3. this is just classic

President Barack Obama held unusually low-profile talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday that failed to provide any sign of progress toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

...The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser Retired Gen. Jim Jones, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell and Director for Near Eastern Affairs at the National Security Council Dan Shapiro.

On the Israeli side, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, National Security Council head Uzi Arad, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and Prime Minister's Office adviser Yitzhak Molcho joined Netanyahu.


read more @ al manar tv

proxy arrangements

1. plots seen in Thaksin Cambodian gambit

excerpt:

Cambodia is now a more open participant in Thailand's political impasse, adding a new and potentially volatile regional dimension to the spiraling conflict. One Bangkok-based diplomat says it was an "open secret" that Thaksin had traveled to Cambodia since fleeing into exile last year. But Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen made clear his position when he last month offered Thaksin an economic advisory position in his government and asserted that he would decline any Thai request for his arrest and extradition.

...There are no indications yet that either side is bolstering its border troop deployments, but there have been hints of subtler saber-rattling. In a recent show of force, Hun Sen last month organized a parade of his personal bodyguard unit that displayed military arms and equipment that could be used to counter Thailand's United States-made F-16 jet fighters. In earlier skirmishes around Preah Vihear, Thailand has flown its F-16s provocatively low in a demonstration of its air superiority, a tactic the Thai military has similarly deployed in skirmishes with neighboring Myanmar.

It was lost on few security analysts that nearly all the hardware Hun Sen showed was produced in China, including tanks and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) apparently modeled after US Stinger missiles. Meanwhile, Thai army commander General Anupong Paochinda strengthened his command in a potential conflict through a mini reshuffle that promoted allies from the elite Queen's Guard to the 2nd Infantry Division, which oversees security along the Thai-Cambodian border.

read more @ asia times


2. Chinese, Malaysian leaders vow to further advance bilateral links

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak agreed here on Wednesday to jointly advance their strategic and cooperative relations.

Hu said that, in the 35 years since China and Malaysia established diplomatic ties, bilateral relations had been increasingly mature with substantial cooperation results in all fields....CChina and Malaysia had also worked closely on major international and regional issues, Hu said. China highly appreciated Malaysia's firm support to China on its core issues, such as Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.

etc. read more @ chinaview


3. India, Colombia strongly pitch for Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism

New Delhi, Nov.11 : India and Colombia have strongly pitched for the UN-sponsored Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism becoming a vital law enforcement instrument, believing that international joint counter-terrorism efforts will benefit as a result.

Emphasizing this through a joint statement issued on Tuesday after Colombia Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez Merizalde concluded a two-day official visit to India, both New Delhi and Bogota reiterated the need for intensifying global cooperation in combating international terrorism.

Merizalde reiterated the condolences of the people and government of Colombia on the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and expressed the hope that the perpetrators of the heinous crime would be brought to justice. [wink wink wink - ed.]

read more @ venezuela news

what is China up to with their (our?) space technology program?

space is "suddenly" on the agenda hot off the heels of General Xu Caihou's (another General Xu) visit to STRATCOM - info here

United States President Barack Obama is preparing to make his first official trip to Asia this week, and a growing list of important economic and defense-related issues are on his agenda. From the time he touches down in Tokyo on Thursday until the time he flies home from Seoul - stops in Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing are also planned - Obama is going to be watched closely back home.

Obama's visit to China is going through some last-minute changes due to recent remarks about China's plans for space by General Xu Qiliang, commander of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Air Force. On November 1, in advance of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Air Force, Xu was interviewed by China's PLA Daily.

"Only power could protect peace. Superiority in space and in air would mean, to a certain extent, superiority over the land and the oceans," he said. "As the air force of a peace-loving country, we must forge our swords and shields in order to protect peace." According to Xu, "a country without adequate power would have no say when faced with challenges posed by the militarization in the space and air." [1] Xu also said that, "military competition has shifted towards space. Such a shift is a major trend now, and such expansion is a historical inevitability." [2]

A few days later, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) made clear that Xu's comments were incomplete and had to be taken in context.

read more @ asia times

one big happy family...again

1. 'big society' is the solution to poverty, declares Cameron

The Conservatives will replace Labour's "big government" with a "big society" which would be more effective at tackling poverty, David Cameron pledged last night. In a keynote speech, the Tory leader rejected both a return to Thatcherism and New Labour's vision of a "smarter" state. He said voluntary groups and charities could take on a key role in helping people to escape poverty.

Mr Cameron argued that since 1997, Labour has run Britain's most centralising government since the Second World War. He claimed that, far from promoting "social solidarity," it had led to "selfishness and individualism". Giving the Hugo Young Memorial Lecture, he sought to answer critics of his speech to last month's Tory conference who questioned how his promise to root out poverty could be squared with his pledge to usher in "smaller government" in a "post-bureaucratic age". Last night he said the state would have a powerful, active role in securing a cultural change which empowered people and encouraged them to take responsibility for their own lives. "We must use the state to remake society," he said, and turn "state action to social action". But he conceded that this "re-imagined state" might not be created in two five-year parliaments and could take a generation.

The Tory leader argued: "The era of big government has run its course. Poverty and inequality have got worse, despite Labour's massive expansion of the state. We need new answers now, and they will only come from a bigger society, not bigger government."

He promised a "clean break" with Labour policy in three areas:

read more @ independent


2. real matrix common purpose consensus creation cognitive dissonance leading ultra vires

>The Masonic front group “Common Purpose” is a registered charity that charges thousands of pounds for communitarian matrix training courses in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), The Delphi Technique, Consensus Creation, Cognitive Dissonance, and other forms of psychological control. Its main initiation rite is called Matrix. Its mantras and rites are based on Rockefeller-Tavistock [inventor of "Israel"] methodologies based on the work of John Rawlings Rees and the World Federation for Mental Health [see pdf].

All of these organizations are led and staffed by Common Purpose “graduates”. The mission statements of all three organizations are riddled with talk of the need for “members and officers working together to achieve a common purpose” — “a common purpose to unite the members,” who must “have a common purpose and work well together,” “providing democratic leadership and common purpose” — “a common purpose and shared commitment” — to “establish a common purpose between partners and work through challenges in a co-operative rather than a competitive way” – ”putting all resources together in a single pot either to serve a common purpose or to even out inconsistencies,” in order to “generate civic pride and bring our communities together with a common purpose.” In fact, “fundamental issues of control and common purpose need to be resolved early.” Their “common purpose is to achieve, through synergy, more than two single parties might achieve alone. This is the guiding principle.” Indeed, they will surely react to your complaints with a common purpose. In this sense, and within the established boundaries put up you, resistance is futile.

read more @ what do you believe?

3. Sweden calls summit over EU top jobs - tough decisions making everyone feel included

Sweden, which currently hold the rotating EU presidency, has called an extraordinary meeting in Brussels next week with the aim of presenting candidates for the new positions of president and foreign policy chief.

...The current favourite to become president of the EU council is Belgium's centre-right Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, who has French and German support according to diplomats.

However the discreet negotiator, busy keeping feuding Dutch-speaking Flemish and the francophone parties together in his national coalition government, could find himself overshadowed by his main backers and, if chosen, find his role reduced to facilitator and consensus builder.

That could leave the way clear for a more forceful foreign policy chief, taking a firm platform to the likes of the China, Russia and the United States.

Reinfeldt, in a Swedish press interview on Wednesday, underlined the difficulties involved in choosing the two key diplomats. "My discussions show how important it is to have a good balance in the choice of posts," he told the daily Dagens Nyheter. "The balance between left and right is very important for many, but also between big and small nations, between north and south, men and women," said Reinfeldt. "It's difficult to fill all the criteria," he added.

read more @ the local

yes let's talk about women for a minute

1. women worked to death in Lebanon

Migrant domestic workers – women who work as live-in or freelance housekeepers, cooks, and nannies – form a vital presence in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East, where women's increased participation in the workforce has not been accompanied by state-backed social or childcare services.

There are thought to be about 200,000 women, mostly from the Philippines, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, in Lebanon alone. ....

The spate of suicides has become so bad in recent weeks it prompted Lebanese blogger Wissam to launch the grimly named Ethiopian Suicides blog. ...

In the last three weeks alone, Wissam notes, four Ethiopian women have died. Lebanese police say the deaths of Kassaye Atsegenet, 24, Saneet Mariam, 30, Matente Kebede Zeditu, 26, Tezeta Yalmiya, 26 were probably suicides. But as human rights activists here will testify, the truth about what happened to them may never be known because police usually only take into account the employer's testimony. Migrants who survive abuse or suicide attempts are not usually provided with a translator, meaning their version of events often does not get registered with officials.

Sadly, violations against such workers occur throughout the region and in some cases the women end up in slave-like conditions.

Reflecting the concern of sender countries for the wellbeing of their citizens, Ethiopia and the Philippines have placed bans on working in Lebanon and Jordan, but this has not stemmed the flow of illegal migrants smuggled in through third countries. Without the necessary work papers and embassy support, migrant women become even more vulnerable to human rights abuses.

read more @ guardian


but before you get all fired up at the horrible conditions in the MIDDLE EAST, check out some things that happen to women IN THE UK AND EUROPE

2. REMINDER: "I am a dying African bestial porn actor stranded in EUROPE"

Lolita is from Nigeria and at only 26 years of age her testimony seems almost unbelievable. Her story perfectly illustrates some of the hardships thousands of African women go through. Prostitution has reduced her to a drug addict and an alcoholic with aids pulling her into the doomed path of the grim reaper.

Prostitution among African women is snowballing in Europe.

...“If only I knew what was in store for me here, in this crazy place, this place that so many people admire, this place they all want to come to (…) a place where we, Africans, are considered as good for nothing, slaves who are made to eat human excrement and drink their urine. Some find it normal that sick people, perverts, rich people… use their money and influence to gravely abuse other humans.

They say that we are adults and therefore consenting, but this is not true because no one asked for my consent before throwing me into this hell hole. I was forced and threatened… and if we are adults, what about the kids who find themselves in this milieu? Those people pay a lot to abuse the youngest ones. Poor people do not pay such ludicrous amounts of money for such things, simply because all their money will still not be enough to buy these…

read more @ afrik.com



3. HEDGE FUND boss treats women like property

excerpts:

Mr Lowe, who runs the hedge fund Nomos Capital, has a reputed £100million fortune, a 40-room castle in France and homes in London and Thailand freely admits he is 'not monogamous'.

He accepts he currently has three lovers around the world as well as an estranged wife in London. But as 'a wealthy and powerful' man he claims the women are attracted to him because 'it's the way of the world'.

Miss Wimmer, who said she was 'speaking slowly' because she was on drugs for depression and anxiety, was yesterday questioned at the Central London Employment Tribunal about her claims that her boss brought prostitutes to business meetings.

Elizabeth Melville, representing Mr Lowe, said to Miss Wimmer that any women he brought along were 'his girlfriends'.

She said that one of the women Miss Wimmer was referring to, Natalia Malagina, was also highly qualified, and had worked for two investment banks, and is now studying at Lausanne University for an MBA.

read more @ daily mail


AND THAT IS NOT EVEN TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSION OF CHILDREN...

NWO agenda: preparations, loose ends, taking out the trash, etc.

1. massive blackout hits Brazil's major cities

RIO DE JANERIO, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- A massive electricity outage hit Brazil's two largest cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, leaving millions of people in the dark.The government has confirmed that the power failure was due to problems at the Itaipu dam, the world's second biggest hydroelectric producer which supplies 20 percent of Brazil's electricity.

The Brazilian director of the dam on the border of Brazil and Paraguay told a radio station that the power output of the entire dam was down. The exact cause of the power failure is still unknown. Other major cities, including the capital Brasilia, were also affected by the power cut, according to the website of Globo TV.

source


2. DC sniper [mind-controlled assassin? - ed.] executed by lethal injection

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- John Allen Muhammad, the mastermind behind the Washington area sniper attacks in 2002, was executed Tuesday by lethal injection in Virginia, authorities said. Muhammad, the so-called "Washington-area sniper," was declared dead at 9:11 p.m. EST (0211 GMT Wednesday), according to Larry Traylor, a spokesman for Virginia Department of Corrections. "Muhammad was asked if he wished to make a last statement, but he did not acknowledge this or make a last statement whatsoever," he told reporters.

Muhammad, 48, said nothing from the time he entered the death chamber, Traylor added.

read more @ chinaview


3. the blending of the people: Chinese language studies becoming popular in France


PARIS, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The study of Chinese has become increasingly popular in France, says a French sinologist. ...Among the 30 school districts across France, 27 now offer Chinese classes, including some in the remote areas, said Bellassen, the Chinese learning inspector in the Education Ministry. About 25,600 middle school students were registered to study Chinese in September, a large increase from the less than 5,000 students 10 years ago, Bellassen said.

read more @ chinaview


4. Freemason presidents in Africa: Ali Bongo ordained Grand Master of Gabon

The grand master of the National Grand Lodge of France (GLNF) installed Ali Bongo as the head of Gabonese Freemasonry, a couple of weeks ago. The title was, until June this year, held by the former President Omar Bongo. About one thousand influential politicians practice freemasonry in Gabon. Just like his father, Ali Bongo is expected to mobilize the Masonic network in order to establish his legitimacy and authority in Gabon and the world.

...According to the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, the cream of French Freemasons in Libreville, including Alain Bauer — former Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France (from 2000 to 2003) and special adviser for terrorism and crime at the French presidency, — after participating in Omar Bongo’s funeral ceremonies installed Ali Bongo as head of the two local branches of the lodge, which count some one thousand members.

read more @ afrik.com



5. Madonna lands in Brazil with her Rabbi to do "charity work"

excerpt:

"I am going there strictly for fundraising and humanitarian purposes," Contactmusic quoted her speaking ahead of her visit. While the 51-year-old star has not disclosed her plan for the visit, she arrived with the Kabbalah Centre's Rabbi Michael Berg, her partner in the Raising Malawi project, and is expected to meet with Rio Governor Sergio Cabral and Mayor Eduardo Paes today.

read more @ brazilnews


6. Warren Buffet's crystal ball looks good for coal, railroads and Dallas TX - opinion

The purchase is a massive wager on coal. About half of Burlington Northern's cargo is coal, and coal accounts for a lot of the rail company's revenue. It's hard to imagine Buffett making this wager if he believed the U.S. economy wasn't recovering or that pending climate-change legislation in Congress would dramatically reduce coal consumption.

There are other implications. If Buffett's investment instincts are right, the rest of us should brace for pain from higher oil and gas prices. As oil and gas prices rise, and road congestion increases, rail becomes an increasingly attractive alternative to long-haul trucking, especially for transporting such commodities as coal, wheat and lumber and imported finished goods from West Coast ports to the Midwest. By, in effect, doubling his bet on rail, Buffett almost certainly believes Burlington Northern will be positioned to take advantage of rising fuel prices.

For Dallas, the Buffett deal is especially good news. It affirms the growing resurgence of connected rail and truck hubs like the International Inland Port of Dallas.

read more @ taiwan news