Category Archives: planetkillers

WHO, West African countries launching emergency plan to combat Ebola | News | DW.DE | 31.07.2014

Finally getting really serious (after key doctor died, two Americans died and one still fighting for life)

The response identifies the need for “several hundred more personnel” to be deployed to affected regions in order to ease the strain on medical facilities, the WHO said, appealing to donor countries for clinical doctors and nurses, epidemiologists and logisticians.

It aims to stop the transmission of Ebola by boosting disease surveillance, particularly in border areas, protecting health workers from infection and doing a better job of informing communities about the virus.

“The plan sets out new needs to respond to the outbreak across the countries and bring up the level of preparedness in neighboring countries,” said WHO spokesman Paul Garwood. “They need better information and infection-control measures.”

Travel warning (Everyone in area had been resisting travel warnings to not harm income from tourists)

The severity of the epidemic prompted the US government on Thursday to issue travel warnings to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Tom Frieden said the outbreak “represents a potential risk to travelers.”

The CDC is also sending 50 extra specials to affected areas, he added.

Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency Thursday and called on troops to quarantine Ebola victims, joining neighbor Liberia in implementing strict government controls.

via WHO, West African countries launching emergency plan to combat Ebola | News | DW.DE | 31.07.2014.

Gaza death toll surpasses that of Cast Lead as count hits 1,422 | Maan News Agency

YOU CAN STOP NOW – YOU PASSED YOUR MARK FOR KILLING INNOCENTS ON ONE OPERATION! The Palestinian death toll in the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza surpassed that of Operation Cast Lead on Thursday as the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks hit 1,422.

In the most recent lethal Israeli attack, an airstrike hit Khan Younis, killing 21-year-old Mohammad Yusef Abadla, health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.

According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, 1,417 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s infamous three-week offensive on Gaza in 2008-2009.

via Gaza death toll surpasses that of Cast Lead as count hits 1,422 | Maan News Agency.

NIH to launch early Ebola vaccine trial in September

Promising but here’s the catch:If someone has full-blown Ebola hemorrhagic virus, there is no drug on the planet that is going to protect them. But in the monkey model, we do have drugs where, if you have an early stage of infection and an early stage of illness, some of them are pretty successful.”

via NIH to launch early Ebola vaccine trial in September.

India puts GM crop trials on hold | Environment | The Guardian

A significant victory but people need to watch carefully – Monsanto and its allies – have deep pockets and want to control your food!

The battle over testing of genetically modified crops in India took a new turn this week with the Bharatiya Janata party-led government putting field trials on hold.

The move reverses the previous Congress party-led government’s push for GM trials, which had resulted in approvals in the past few months for rice, maize, wheat and chickpea crops. Trials are the first step towards sale and plantation of GM seeds in India.

The BJP, which came to power in May, took a stand against GM crop trials in its election manifesto.

But this week’s announcement came after the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (Forum for National Awakening) and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (Indian Farmers Association) , two grassroots groups affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist outfit that supports the BJP, met environment minister Prakash Javdekar on Tuesday to reiterate their opposition to holding GM trials.

The groups expressed concern about the potentially unknown effects on health and biodiversity as well as about the longer-term prospect of putting food production in the hands of a few multinational companies. “If a country’s food production becomes overly dependent on seeds and other inputs from a handful of such companies, will it not compromise its food security?” said the Manch in a press statement.

The biotech industry responded with dismay to the news. Stocks of Monsanto India slipped. An association of leading biotech companies in India criticised the government’s decision as “anti-science, anti-domestic research recommendations which seem motivated to kill the biotechnology sector in India.” Field trials are necessary, proponents say, to test the efficacy of seeds in real-world conditions.

But the introduction of GM crops has always been controversial in India. Opposition ranges across political lines, and many states, worried about contamination, refuse to allow field trials within their borders. Bt cotton is the only commercially available GM crop in India.

via India puts GM crop trials on hold | Environment | The Guardian.

Europe on alert over spread of Ebola virus | News | DW.DE | 30.07.2014

Virus goes unseen

However, in an interview the Belgian newspaper La Libre, a leading official from the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned that there was no comprehensive plan on how to deal with the disease. A major problem, according to MSF director of operations Bart Janssens, was the lack of rapid identification – particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“We are extremely worried by the turn of events, particularly in these two countries where there is a lack of visibility on the epidemic,” said Janssens.

“If the situation does not improve fairly quickly, there is a real risk of new countries being affected.”

“That is certainly not ruled out, but it is difficult to predict, because we have never known such an epidemic.”

There have been 1,201 cases of Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since March, with one isolated case in Nigeria

via Europe on alert over spread of Ebola virus | News | DW.DE | 30.07.2014.

Regulations.gov – Importation of Fresh Blueberries from Morocco into the Continental United States

Spanish firm growing blueberries in desert in hot houses for export to US and Europe – Adds to carbon load on atmosphere since they must be flown to US – go figure!

Importation of Fresh Blueberries from Morocco into the Continental United States

This Rule document was issued by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

For related information, Open Docket Folder

Action

Final rule.

Summary

We are amending the regulations concerning the importation of fruits and vegetables to allow the importation of fresh blueberries from Morocco into the continental United States. As a condition of entry, the blueberries must be produced under a systems approach employing a combination of mitigation measures for two quarantine pests, Ceratitis capitata and Monilinia fructigena, and must be inspected prior to exportation from Morocco and found free of these pests. The blueberries may be imported in commercial consignments only and must be treated with one of two approved postharvest treatments to mitigate C. capitata. The blueberries will have to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the conditions for importation have been met. This action will allow the importation of blueberries from Morocco while continuing to protect against the introduction of plant pests into the United States.

via Regulations.gov – Rule Document.

Wenzhou river mysteriously turns blood-red overnight : Shanghaiist

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

A river in Wenzhou, taking notes from a page in the Bible’s book of Revelation, began flowing a sinister blood-red color overnight, local residents discovered yesterday morning, despite there being no chemical factories nearby.

via Wenzhou river mysteriously turns blood-red overnight : Shanghaiist.

7th Seal?

empty shoes | Palestine Rose

Oh what will you wear for Eid,

My darling young one,

Oh what will you wear for Eid,

My darling young one?

I’ll wear my burial shroud

In my Grave.

I Miss You

Mother, please don’t be afraid

For me, my journey cut short

By Israeli Demons’ so Loud,—

Their rockets went past clouds

In the sky, a Space

Satellite Saw Gaza Ablaze.

I Miss You

Mother, please don’t be afraid

For me, my journey cut short

By Israeli Demons’ so Loud,—

I’m Praying for Gaza, my head bowed.

In Paradise, with Allah, who Hears

Every Prayer, He wiped away all of my Tears.

via empty shoes | Palestine Rose.

LOOK: The horrific devastation caused by super typhoon Rammasun in Southern China: Shanghaiist

None of this in nightly news in US about China or Vitenam –

 Power lines in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province were toppled. Electricity was cut off in the city after a night of heavy wind and rain.

via LOOK: The horrific devastation caused by super typhoon Rammasun in Southern China: Shanghaiist.

Israel soldier ‘kidnapped’ by Hamas is dead: army | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR

The Israeli army Tuesday confirmed that a soldier who Hamas militants claimed they had kidnapped is dead and his body remains unaccounted for.

The army named the soldier, whose body is still missing, as Oron Shaul, two days after Hamas said they had kidnapped an Israeli soldier of the same name.

A spokeswoman said Israeli pathologists had identified 12 out of 13 soldiers killed in Gaza over the weekend but that 21-year-old Shaul’s body was still unaccounted for.

Publication of the name suggested Hamas was likely to be holding the soldier’s remains, although it was not clear if the entire body or only part of it was missing.

Israeli dog tags carry a soldier’s name and his army number, and are designed to be broken in two, with half worn around the neck and the other half inserted into his boot to allow for identification in the event of death.

Shaul was part of a group of seven troops from the elite Golani unit who died in an attack on an armored vehicle in Gaza.

via Israel soldier ‘kidnapped’ by Hamas is dead: army | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR.