New Beginnings

“The thing about Christmas  is that it almost doesn’t matter  what mood you’re in or what  kind of year you’ve had… its a fresh start.”  ~ Kelly …

New Beginnings

Israeli troops shoot Syrian protester as forces move beyond buffer zone | Syria | The Guardian

The Israeli military said its forces shot a protester during a demonstration against the army’s activities in a village in southern Syria on Friday, injuring him in the leg.

Since Islamist-led rebels toppled Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on 8 December Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syrian military facilities in what it says is a bid to prevent them from falling into hostile hands.

In a move widely condemned internationally, Israel also sent troops into a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights and beyond, calling it a defensive and temporary measure.

“During a protest against IDF’s activities in the area of Maariya in southern Syria, IDF [the Israeli military] called on protesters to distance themselves from the troops,” the military told Agence France-Presse…

Source: Israeli troops shoot Syrian protester as forces move beyond buffer zone | Syria | The Guardian

A veteran Jamaican journalist is murdered, shocking the country and heightening security concerns · Global Voices

Seventy-seven-year-old Barbara Gayle lived in a quiet, pleasant gated community just outside of Kingston, where she was enjoying semi-retirement after a long career that spanned more than 50 years as a court reporter at the Jamaica Gleaner, widely considered the country’s newspaper of record. On the morning of December 17, however, one of her neighbours found her dead — hit on the head and stabbed in the neck. Gayle had last been seen alive the previous afternoon, talking to a man on her verandah. CCTV footage showed her offering the man a glass of water.

It was soon discovered that Gayle’s car and phone were missing. The car was found on the morning of December 18, a couple of miles from her home. That same day, a suspect was arrested, though he has still not been charged. No motive has yet been established for the murder.

Gayle was a well-respected reporter and much loved by her media colleagues, all of whom were deeply shocked by her murder. Her reports on criminal cases were detailed, well researched, and unbiased. Her style was not a flamboyant one; she would sit at the back of the court, quietly taking notes in shorthand. Her journalism, always factual and above reproach, made her a beloved role model and mentor to younger journalists.

A petite woman, barely five feet tall, she was an active member of her local Seventh Day Adventist Church, who sent her neighbours and friends daily affirmations and motivational messages via WhatsApp. News of her murder, therefore, sent shock waves not only through her own community but throughout the country and wider Caribbean region, with her media colleagues particularly affected.

Source: A veteran Jamaican journalist is murdered, shocking the country and heightening security concerns · Global Voices

Fascinating! Caecilians: secretive, strange and slithering underground dwellers in tropical rainforests — Palm Oil Detectives

OK, Ok…I know this is quite a scary photo but hear me out. Caecilians are legless, eyeless creatures live secretive, strange lives underground and …

Fascinating! Caecilians: secretive, strange and slithering underground dwellers in tropical rainforests — Palm Oil Detectives

¡Libros con encanto que nos hacen soñar y reflexionar! – « La Magia de la Amazonia Las aventuras de Namowë, un niño Yanomami » y « La Magia de la …

« Elementos del mundo natural se entrelazan con la magia y lo sobrenatural en estos encantadores libros que nos hacen soñar y reflexionar. Las …

¡Libros con encanto que nos hacen soñar y reflexionar! – « La Magia de la Amazonia Las aventuras de Namowë, un niño Yanomami » y « La Magia de la …

Bird flu drives US egg prices to all-time highs before Christmas | Reuters

Eggs are displayed at a supermarket in ChicagoEggs are displayed at a supermarket in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., April 13, 2022. Picture taken April 13, 2022. REUTERS/Jim Vondruska/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

  • Wholesale egg prices up 150% from a year ago
  • Bird flu outbreak accelerating in egg-laying hens
  • Supply outlook down and price outlook up, says USDA
Dec 20 (Reuters) – U.S. wholesale egg prices are shattering records as an accelerating outbreak of bird flu in laying hens slashes supplies while shoppers buy more to bake Christmas cookies and other holiday treats.

Source: Bird flu drives US egg prices to all-time highs before Christmas | Reuters