The tumult in Slovakia has now distinguished the country from others in the region, where disillusioned voters have sided with illiberal populists.
Tag Archives: WorldNews
Secretive religious charity run by top US housing officials raises questions

GJH Global Ministries, which made its website private after inquiries by the Guardian, does not appear to have a clear purpose
One of the top officials in Donald Trump’s housing department runs an opaque religious charity with a colleague who resigned from the administration when the Guardian found he was accused of fraud and exaggerated his biography.
Related: US housing department adviser quits amid questions of fraud and inflated biography
Russian hackers accused of attacking power grid but nuclear plants not compromised, US says
Hmmm… let’s see – they stole or reverse engineered attack code jointly developed by CIA and Mossad to attack Iranian nuclear power plants and now US President mired in traitorous activity claims outside power attacking US… Believe that and I have a bridge that I’d be willing to sell to you cheap… lol.

The Trump administration accuses Russia of engineering a series of cyberattacks targeting American and European nuclear power plants, and water and electric systems.
Caterpillar to close facilities, could cut 880 jobs
Gotta squeeze more profits for poor struggling banks and bond holders. CHICAGO (Reuters) – Caterpillar Inc will close two facilities and is contemplating the closure of its engine manufacturing plant in Illinois, which together could potentially result in about 880 job losses, a company spokeswoman told Reuters on Friday.
Police launch murder inquiry over death of Nikolai Glushkov

Met announces move after pathologist’s report on death of Russian exile in London this week
Police have launched a murder investigation into the death of the Russian businessman Nikolai Glushkov.
Scotland Yard announced the move after receiving a pathologist’s report that gave the cause of death as compression to the neck.
Top Bottled Water Brands Contaminated with Plastic Particles: Report
By Editor, Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
Mar 15 2018 (The Sunday Times – Sri Lanka)
The world’s leading brands of bottled water are contaminated with tiny plastic particles that are likely seeping in during the packaging process, according to a major study across nine countries published Wednesday.
“Widespread contamination” with plastic was found in the study, led by microplastic researcher Sherri Mason of the State University of New York at Fredonia, according to a summary released by Orb Media, a US-based non-profit media collective.
Researchers tested 250 bottles of water in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States.
Plastic was identified in 93 percent of the samples, which included major name brands such as Aqua, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Nestle Pure Life and San Pellegrino.
The plastic debris included polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make bottle caps.
“In this study, 65 percent of the particles we found were actually fragments and not fibers,” Mason told AFP.
“I think it is coming through the process of bottling the water. I think that most of the plastic that we are seeing is coming from the bottle itself, it is coming from the cap, it is coming from the industrial process of bottling the water.”
Particle concentration ranged from “zero to more than 10,000 likely plastic particles in a single bottle,” said the report.
On average, plastic particles in the 100 micron (0.10 millimeter) size range — considered “microplastics,” — were found at an average rate of 10.4 plastic particles per liter.
Even smaller particles were more common — averaging about 325 per liter.
Other brands that were found to contain plastic contaminated included Bisleri, Epura, Gerolsteiner, Minalba and Wahaha.
Experts cautioned that the extent of the risk to human health posed by such contamination remains unclear.
“There are connections to increases in certain kinds of cancer to lower sperm count to increases in conditions like ADHD and autism,” said Mason.
“We know that they are connected to these synthetic chemicals in the environment and we know that plastics are providing kind of a means to get those chemicals into our bodies.”
– Time to ditch plastic? –
Previous research by Orb Media has found plastic particles in tap water, too, but on a smaller scale.
“Tap water, by and large, is much safer than bottled water,” said Mason.
The three-month study used a technique developed by the University of East Anglia’s School of Chemistry to “see” microplastic particles by staining them using fluorescent Nile Red dye, which makes plastic fluorescent when irradiated with blue light.
“We have been involved with independently reviewing the findings and methodology to ensure the study is robust and credible,” said lead researcher Andrew Mayes, from UEA’s School of Chemistry.
“The results stack up.”
Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer for North America at Oceana, a marine advocacy group that was not involved in the research, said the study provides more evidence that society must abandon the ubiquitous use of plastic water bottles.
“We know plastics are building-up in marine animals, and this means we too are being exposed, some of us, every day,” she said.
“It’s more urgent now than ever before to make plastic water bottles a thing of the past.”
This story was originally published by The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka
The post Top Bottled Water Brands Contaminated with Plastic Particles: Report appeared first on Inter Press Service.
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer: ‘Islam doesn’t belong to Germany’
The shame of this government muddle in Germany that still harbors racists!

In a slight to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, new Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Islam is not part of German culture. His comments underscore his efforts to push the government to the right.
Church skeptical as Bavarian village awaits the ‘arrival’ of the Virgin Mary
Thought they did not want immigrants from Middle East?

The Virgin Mary is due to “appear” in a chapel in southern Germany on Saturday, according to the followers of a Sicilian “prophet.” The Catholic Church is less convinced and has barred priests from taking part.
Conservative push to resettle ‘persecuted’ white South African farmers gains momentum
Racists without shame or reason play in Australia to nation’s shame

Several MPs are calling for a special humanitarian intake, arguing South African farmers would bring relevant skills to Australia and integrate well into the community.
Australian minister urges fast-track visas for white South African farmers
Racism rears head in Austrailia – again

Australia may be about to open the door to fast-track visas for white South African farmers. Some accuse Australia of double standards after the UN recently slammed Canberra for illegally detaining asylum-seekers.
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