Category Archives: Fail!

Modi bets on GM crops for India’s second green revolution | Reuters

Modi bets on GM crops for India’s second green revolution | Reuters.

His bet will mean many deaths for India when monocrops succumb to massive crop failures due to unforeseen new fungi, bacteria, or rust. Will also open doors for new Bhopal type disasters but its all about money and not people or the planet. 

Myanmar army deepens offensive on “rebels” near China border – Channel NewsAsia

Those who oppress and enslave their own people “get” to call them rebels, even if they are just trying to defend themselves from a government that has rebelled against humanity for 40 years…

Myanmar has blamed Kokang leader Phone Kya Shin for the upsurge of violence – after six years of relative peace – and called on Beijing to rein in any local officials who might be helping the group on its side of the border. President Thein Sein has vowed “not to lose an inch of Myanmar’s territory” to the rebels.

via Myanmar army deepens offensive on rebels near China border – Channel NewsAsia.

League of the South to Celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination | Hatewatch

Members of the Maryland-Virginia chapter of the League of the South (LOS) are set to host an event celebrating John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

Screen shot from the LOS main Facebook page.

The event, organized by Shane Long, the Vice Chairman of the Maryland-Virginia LOS, is scheduled to take place in Baltimore on April 11th.

via League of the South to Celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination | Hatewatch.

Superbug linked to 2 deaths at UCLA hospital; 100 potentially exposed – LA Times

Weak as water excuse – “it’s not our fault because we depended on other people.”

UCLA said it immediately notified public health authorities after discovering the bacteria in one patient and tracing the problem to two endoscopes. The university said it had been cleaning the scopes “according to standards stipulated by the manufacturer” and it changed how it disinfects the instruments after the infections surfaced.

UCLA said it immediately notified public health authorities after discovering the bacteria in one patient and tracing the problem to two endoscopes. The university said it had been cleaning the scopes “according to standards stipulated by the manufacturer” and it changed how it disinfects the instruments after the infections surfaced.

Dale Tate, a university spokeswoman, said “the two scopes involved with the infection were immediately removed and UCLA is now utilizing a decontamination process that goes above and beyond the manufacturer and national standards.”

via Superbug linked to 2 deaths at UCLA hospital; 100 potentially exposed – LA Times.

Reversing Course, U.S. To Aid Nigeria In Boko Haram Fight | Inter Press Service

So, I don’t get it… Nigeria is, or was, doing well and has a significant army that has done little over the years to halt Boko Haram. Years of doing nothing, over growing radicalism and religious based politics in northern Nigeria. Now everyone has to help them. Soooo, how is the leadership in Nigeria going to change?

A multinational force to fight Boko Haram is expected to be formally launched in coming weeks. Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin initially pledged to help Nigeria. This week, Burundi and Central African Republic also agreed to contribute troops to fight the militant group.

Also this week, leaders in Central Africa said that 10 member states had agreed to contribute most of the $100 million needed to combat Boko Haram. They did not state how much had been raised nor how much is remaining despite calling for the creation of an emergency fund to bridge the difference, according to reporters with the Associated Press.

via Reversing Course, U.S. To Aid Nigeria In Boko Haram Fight | Inter Press Service.

Measles makes its mark all over again: One of humanity’s oldest foes is back on the increase – Features – Health & Families – The Independent

Since al-Razi first carefully documented it (about 900 AD), this little strand of RNA tucked in a protein envelope has enjoyed a rare kind of notoriety, even in the shock-and-awe world of infectious diseases. In 1529, the Spanish introduced it to Cuba, killing two out of three natives. Over the next decade or so, the virus ravaged Central America, decimating many populations and killing up to half of all Hondurans. And, in 1693, in colonial America, Virginia governor Edmund Andros issued a proclamation for a “day of humiliation and prayer” in the hope of waylaying the virus.

It’s not like that today, but the disease is no slouch either. In 2013, according to the World Health Organisation, there were 16 deaths from the virus each hour, around the world, for the entire year. It is one of the leading causes of death among young children, despite our ability to safely vaccinate against it. It is estimated that between the years of 2000 and 2013, vaccination has prevented 15.6 million deaths. Do you recognise it yet?

via Measles makes its mark all over again: One of humanity’s oldest foes is back on the increase – Features – Health & Families – The Independent.

U.N. Describes Forced Disappearances in Mexico as “Generalised” | Inter Press Service

“The information received by the committee shows a context of generalised disappearances in a great part of the country, many of which could qualify as enforced disappearances,” says the report containing the committee’s concluding observations, presented Friday, Feb. 13.

It notes that disappearances were already occurring in December 2010, when the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance went into effect.

via U.N. Describes Forced Disappearances in Mexico as “Generalised” | Inter Press Service.

IRIN Middle East | Only five percent of pledged aid reaches Gaza | Israel | OPT | Saudi Arabia | Conflict

Contrasting it with pledging conferences for Syria, one UN staffer said the Egyptians had not been sufficiently pro-active.

“When Kuwait organized the conference on Syria the secretariat followed strict procedures to ensure that the money got paid, including inviting donors to meetings. Egypt has done nothing.”

Egyptian officials did not respond to requests for comment.

In fact it was only in mid-January, ahead of a donors’ meeting in March, that Norway formally requested the World Bank to track down how much money had been delivered.

According to Steen Lau Jorgensen, the World Bank’s Country Director for Gaza and the West Bank, the process will “include a report … that will reflect the pledges of Gaza reconstruction disbursed through all channels and the timing for disbursement. It will also assess to what extent the donors have realized their pledges and will break down the list of pledges into budget support and Gaza reconstruction.”

via IRIN Middle East | Only five percent of pledged aid reaches Gaza | Israel | OPT | Saudi Arabia | Conflict.

Copenhagen shootings: Benjamin Netanyahu calls for ‘massive immigration’ of European Jews to Israel in wake of attack – Europe – World – The Independent

“knows no limits to playing to the perpetrators of terror and his own to primp for office – will not work any longer”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a “massive immigration” of European Jews to Israel following the double shootings in Copenhagen on Saturday.

Two people were shot dead in Copenhagen on Saturday, including a guard outside of a Jewish Community centre who was protecting the entrance of a Bat Mitzvah party.

Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem just hours after the attack, Netanyahu proclaimed that, “Jews were killed on European land just because they were Jewish”

He warned that “this wave of attacks will continue” and spoke out to the European Jewish population, saying “Israel is your home.”

via Copenhagen shootings: Benjamin Netanyahu calls for ‘massive immigration’ of European Jews to Israel in wake of attack – Europe – World – The Independent.