Ned's Second Line Look at the News: April 2014

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Jackie DeShannon - What the World Needs Now Is Love

Avian Flu Diary: WHO: Antibiotic Resistance – Serious, World-Wide Threat

30 April 2014 | Geneva - A new report by WHO–its first to look at antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, globally–reveals that this serious threat is no longer a prediction for the future, it is happening right now in every region of the world and has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country. Antibiotic resistance–when bacteria change so antibiotics no longer work in people who need them to treat infections–is now a major threat to public health.

“Without urgent, coordinated action by many stakeholders, the world is headed for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades can once again kill,” says Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security. “Effective antibiotics have been one of the pillars allowing us to live longer, live healthier, and benefit from modern medicine. Unless we take significant actions to improve efforts to prevent infections and also change how we produce, prescribe and use antibiotics, the world will lose more and more of these global public health goods and the implications will be devastating.”

WHO | Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update

Guinea

As of 18:00 on 26 April 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 224 clinical cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), including 143 deaths. To date, 202 patients have been tested for ebolavirus infection and 121 cases have been laboratory confirmed, including 74 deaths. In addition, 41 cases (34 deaths) meet the probable case definition for EVD and 62 cases (35 deaths) are classified as suspected cases. A revised number of 25 health care workers (HCW) have been affected (19 confirmed), with 16 deaths (12 confirmed); the number of HCW was previously reported as 26.

Nadine Moussa’s Presidential Plan | Hummus For Thought

This presidential plan aims at accomplishing the following goals and sets the path for achieving a long-term vision that aspires to make drastic changes in Lebanon:

Achieving national sovereignty across Lebanon
Building a state for all citizens based on the reign of righteousness, law and social justice while supporting civil peace
Enhancing the sense of patriotism amongst Lebanese people, expatriates, men and women equally
Exploiting the natural resources such as gas, oil, water with total transparency and distributing them amongst all Lebanese people equally to enrich the citizens as well as encouraging expats to return to their country and to invest in it
Accomplishing security, including political, military and social security
Reorienting the economy towards an economy based on knowledge and creativity, in addition to offering educational, learning and teaching opportunities to all citizens and investing in their human capabilities that are abundant inside and outside Lebanon
Adopting the decentralization policy that ensures local sustainable development, preserves natural resources in accordance with ecological standards and invests local resources, talents and capabilities
Replacing rivalry with the feeling of pride regarding the diversity and our cultural, educational and religious heritage, reinforcing it and considering it as one of our national resources

Urban Rez Trailer

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Recently-jailed Madagascan mother to confront Rio Tinto Board at London AGM | London Mining Network

A mother-of-four who was recently jailed for 58 days for confronting mining injustice against her community in Madagascar has travelled to London to confront the board of controversial mining multinational Rio Tinto at their AGM on Tuesday.

Perle Zafinandro is the president of the FAGNOMBA association that has accused QMM-Rio Tinto of land-grabbing and environmental destruction in Madagascar. After having been involved in protests against the company since 2010, in March 2013, Perle and a number of other members of the organisation were arrested and imprisoned for 58 days.Perle will be supported at the AGM by Mamy Rakotontrainibe of the Paris-based Collective for the Defence of Malagasy Land.

They will be joined at the AGM by Roger Featherstone of Arizona Mining Reform Coalition and Adam Lee from the global union confederation IndustriALL.

The Arizona Mining Reform Coalition is working to stop Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton construct a copper mine on land of great environmental and recreational value, and sacred to Indigenous Apache people, in Arizona.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Mimi Writes.......: Monday Mimisms ~ The 411 on 4/14/14

Mimi Writes.......: Monday Mimisms ~ The 411 on 4/14/14

It's Monday. All day. The date is 4/14/14.
Tomorrow the world will experience a lunar eclipse featuring a blood red moon.
It is Passover Week.
The Heartbleed virus is beating its last beat on cyber-earth and astrologers predict the beginning of the end of the beginning... or something like that.
The Easter bunny and all things crucifixion, resurrection and scandalous retail is upon us; not to mention the season finale of SCANDAL will make an appearance on Thursday.
All things considered, I've decided to stay in the mirror until it's over.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Israeli forces detain Hebron man after settlers invade his home | Maan News Agency

Israeli forces detain Hebron man after settlers invade his home | Maan News Agency

Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man on Saturday evening after he tried to defend his family from a home invasion by Jewish settlers in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, a local activist group said.

Mofid Sharbati, 46, was detained by Israeli forces after a group of settlers entered his home on Shuhada street in central Hebron, coordinator for Youth against Settlements Issa Amro said.

His brother Zidan Sharbati was wounded during the incident, which began when Jewish settlers entered their homes and began beating the brothers as well as members of their families.

When the two attempted to respond, Israeli forces who were on the scene came to the aid of settlers and continued the assault, Amro said.

Israeli forces detained Mofid during the incident, while Zidan was evacuated from the scene by an ambulance and taken to Hebron Hospital, where doctors said his wounds were "moderate."