Monthly Archives: January 2014

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Man loses benefits because he had heart attack during work capability assessment

Can it be true? OMG

Pride's Purge

(not satire – it’s the UK today!)

A man with heart problems who couldn’t complete a work capability assessment because he had a heart attack during the interview had his benefits stopped by the job centre for ‘withdrawing’ from the interview.

I promise you this is not satire. Here’e the story from the Oldham Evening Chronicle:

Heart-attack victim in cash-axe shock

The UK under this government is getting harder and harder to satirise day by day.

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Big thanks to Robert Cragg for the heads up on this.

Please feel free to comment.

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pandemic

New study finds plague may return | Vaccine News Daily

“We know the bacterium Y. pestis has jumped from rodents into humans throughout history and rodent reservoirs of plague still exist today in many parts of the world,” Associate Professor of the Center for microbial Genetics and Genomics at Northern Arizona University Dave Wagner said. “If the Justinian plague could erupt in the human population, cause a massive pandemic, and then die out, it suggest it could happen again. Fortunately we now have antibiotics that could be used to effectively treat plague, which lessens the chances of another large scale human pandemic.”

Other questions were recently raised about the origins of the plague. New research points to the Justinian Y. pestis originating from Asia, not Africa, which could mean the Plague of Athens and the Antonine plague may be caused by a completely separate strain of Y. pestis.

Researchers are still unable to answer why the Justinian Plague suddenly died out during the sixth century after killing an estimated 30 to 50 million people, approximately half the world’s population at the time.

via New study finds plague may return | Vaccine News Daily.

environment, Fail!, healthcare, human rights, immigration, pandemic, planetkillers

TB incidence increasing in Denmark | Vaccine News Daily

The Statens Serum Institut recently noted that tuberculosis cases in Denmark are increasing, particularly among immigrants and residents of Greenland or immigrant descent, and suggested the TB prevention plan within the country may need revision.

The presence of TB in Denmark has steadily increased since 2009. In 2012, the country saw the highest incidence of TB in five years. Most cases occurred with immigrants residing in Denmark, while the prevalence of TB in persons native to Denmark remained unchanged.

via TB incidence increasing in Denmark | Vaccine News Daily.

environment, Fail!, human rights, planetkillers

Dumping plan for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef gets green light | News | DW.DE | 31.01.2014

 and like too many other profit before planet dummies – they will just say “Oops” when something really bad happens and they kill the reef and northern Australia’s coast.

“We are devastated. I think any Australian or anyone around the world who cares about the future of the reef is also devastated by this decision,\” said Richard Leck, reef campaign leader for the international conservation group World Wildlife Fund. \”Exactly the wrong thing that you want to do when an ecosystem is suffering … is introduce another major threat to it – and that\’s what the marine park authority has allowed to happen today.\”

But the Marine Park Authority has defended the decision, pointing to strict conditions that include a water quality monitoring plan that is to stay in place five years after the dumping is complete.

via Dumping plan for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef gets green light | News | DW.DE | 31.01.2014.

human rights

Prepping for a Coup!?! Ukraine’s armed forces call for Yanukovych action as activist Bulatov claims torture | News | DW.DE | 31.01.2014

\”The servicemen and employees of the armed forces called unacceptable the seizure of state offices, preventing representatives of state and local authorities from fulfilling their duties.\” The statement added that \”further escalation of the confrontation threatens the country\’s territorial integrity.\”

via Ukraine’s armed forces call for Yanukovych action as activist Bulatov claims torture | News | DW.DE | 31.01.2014.

pandemic

VDU’s blog: H7N9 snapdate: cases in 2013 vs 2014…[UPDATED]

So Zhejiang is our sentinel for an impact from market closures. The place to keep an eye on in the coming weeks as an indicator of H7N9 activity in the region. Or it might just all be down to warmer weather shooing the H7N9 away! But at least we have last year as a guide of what to expect this year. If you can expect anything from influenza.

via VDU’s blog: H7N9 snapdate: cases in 2013 vs 2014…[UPDATED].