Category Archives: Viva!

Monarch butterfly population likely to quadruple, says Mexico | News | DW.COM | 13.11.2015

“We estimate that the butterfly population that arrives at the reserve is as much as three and could reach four times the surface area it occupied last season,” Mexican Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano said at a press conference at the Piedra Herrada monarch reserve.Monarch populations have witnessed a steady plunge of nearly 90 percent since their peak, hitting roughly 35 million between 2013 and 2014, a stark contrast to around one billion in the mid-1990s.US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who addressed reporters alongside Pacchiano, said that the North American countries are making concerted efforts to impede illegal logging and plant more milkweeds, which the monarch butterflies use to produce offspring.

Source: Monarch butterfly population likely to quadruple, says Mexico | News | DW.COM | 13.11.2015

23 Vintage Photos that Show What Summer Fun Looked Like before the Internet

No matter how many apps are available to kids today, summertime fun remains at its core about one thing: cooling off under the blazing sun. As these vintage photos from early 1900s to the 1970s show, nothing compares to the Internet-free experience of jumping into the water and splashing around with your friends. Play on, kids.

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Children in the beach, the great paving stones, Seine-Maritime, France, 1909

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Child playing in a Dinosaur imprint, U.S., 1945

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Four children squat on rocks at edge of stream, mountains in background, U.S., 1905

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Little boys playing with a hand-drawn cart made out of a crate in the shallow waters of the River Thames, June 6, 1925

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Two girls fishing at weekend, Germany, 1927

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One-Third of Papua New Gineans Suffering Drought Crisis

An estimated one-third of the population of Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific Island state, is now suffering in from the country’s worst drought this century and experts predict El Nino’s influence will carry on through March 2016. Dickson Guina, Chairman of the National Disaster Committee, told IPS that 2.4 million people across most […]

California Records 32nd WNV Fatality

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Although the nation as a whole has only been experiencing a moderately active West Nile Season in 2015, with the CDC Reporting 1,121 neuroinvasive cases and 94 deaths, California accounts for close to 1/3rd of the nation’s totals.  Their latest report puts the number of WNV deaths at 32 for the year, breaking last year’s record of 31:

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Some summers West Nile activity is admittedly much worse than others, with 2012 seeing more than 5600 cases of WNV disease reported to the CDC, including 286 deaths.   That year, it was Texas that was the hardest hit (89 deaths), while California only saw 20 fatalities.

 

The vast majority who are infected – about 80% – experience at worst only mild, or sub-clinical symptoms. Most of the rest may experience a brief febrile illness (West Nile Fever).  Both are likely highly underreported.

 

A very small percentage  of those infected develop WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND), a form of encephalitis that can sometimes prove fatal. Those over the age of 50 appear to be the most vulnerable to the most serious form of the illness, and as most of those are hospitalized, those numbers are the most reliable.

 

The West Nile Virus arrived in North America (New York City) in 1999 – likely imported by a viremic visitor – and over a period of a few short years managed to spread across the entire United States and make inroads into Canada.

From the USGS Factsheet on West Nile Virus

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This year, all 48 contiguous states are reporting WNV activity (in birds, horses, or humans), and 45 have reported human infection. Hardest hit have been California, and a large swath of the central United States.image

Although WNV season is ending across much of the nation, the reports of cases, and deaths, will likely to continue for a couple of more months.  A final tally for this year’s impact won’t be available until sometime in the spring. 

 

While mosquito season may be on the decline in North America, there are still plenty of place where mosquitoes are active, both here and abroad.  Add in the risks of Dengue, Chikungunya, and the Zika virus making inroads into the Americas, and following the advice of public health officials on mosquito safety makes good sense.

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Video: Undercover soldiers invade hospital, execute patient, kidnap another

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In yet another disturbingly shocking act, a group of undercover Israeli soldiers dressed as Palestinian civilians (Musta’ribeen) Thursday overnight broke into Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, and executed a patient and kidnapped another. 

The group of 21 armed Musta’ribeen (AKA Death Unit), invaded the hallways of the hospital, terrorized the nurses, stormed the room of Abdullah Shalaldeh (27) in surgery section, shot him with four bullets in the chest and the head and inside his ear, causing his immediate death.

Abdullah Shalaldeh (27) patient executed by Musta'ribeenAbdullah Shalaldeh (27) who was executed by Musta’ribeen unit

The agents also reportedly opened fire on his cousin, Azzam Shalaldeh, injured and kidnapped him from the hospital.

According to the hospital  CCTV, one of the group members was dressed as a pregnant woman wearing the Hijab and Jilbab (Islamic dress code), and another faked being a patient on a wheel-chair to infiltrate the people at the hospital. The rest were dressed as Palestinians and wearing the Kufiyyeh (Palestinian scarf). Minutes later, their guns were out.

Israeli media claimed that the attack came because the family was affiliated to the Hamas resistance movement.

With Abdullah Shalaldeh killed, the number of Palestinian martyrs since the beginning of October rises to 83.

The Musta’ribeen unit has committed several crimes against Palestinians since long time.

The attacks were heightened during the past month, since the agents infiltrated Palestinian protesters in clashes, faked being one of them to make it easier to shoot and arrest them.

They are trained by specialists to act like Palestinians and speak their accent. They have special make-up artists to give them the Arab complexion.