Family of three commit suicide over child's disabilities

27.06.2013 | Source:

Pravda.Ru

 

A family of three committed suicide in Spain's Costa del Sol. According to Sky News, the tragedy occurred due to the physical and mental disorder of the family's child.

The bodies of a man, a woman and their daughter were found on the site of the tragedy. The family left a note, which allegedly said that they could no longer put up with their daughter's physical condition. According to preliminary reports, the man was identified as Philip Wood, a Briton. His wife, Sheila, and their daughter Sophie were natives of Ireland. 

Police officers believe that one family member shot the two others and then self from a pistol. The family had been living in the region for a long time. Sky News did not specify what kind of disorders the daughter had. Most likely, it goes about Down's syndrome.

 

US economy: Say good-bye to your expectations

06.03.2013 11:18

While Russian liberals are criticizing the academic concept of Sergei Glazyev intended to increase the government's role in the crisis period and abandon the idea of privatization, the ideal of free-market theoreticians, the U.S. economy is showing signs of imminent collapse. Obama has already acknowledged that the sequestration will adversely impact the defense and quality of life.

On Friday (after a failed attempt of the republican and Democratic wings of the Congress to agree on the state expenditure), U.S. President Barack Obama signed a decree to start the curtailment of the national budget. What are the implications of this unprecedented step? Here are some specific numbers from the official website of the White House and Research Centre Global Research: 600,000 people will lose their right to food stamps, 700, 000 jobs will be lost, 70,000 children will be excluded from the day care programs. The program of budget savings proposed by Barack Obama generally provides savings of about a trillion and two hundred million dollars, including 400 billion by cutting back on health insurance plans, 130 billion - Social Security and, 35 billion - reduction of pensions for the retired federal employees, who, as an sign of discontent, could significantly weaken the system of public administration.

In the first financial year that in the U.S. ends on October 1^st, spending cuts in the federal budget will amount to $85 billion, with $50 billion in security agencies and defense. Obama, speaking on the day after the signing of the directive, was visibly frustrated, saying that, in addition to social programs, sequestration may significantly weaken the U.S. defense, thousands of military will be laid off, and the march of the aircraft carrier group to the Persian Gulf will have to be postponed.

Compared to the 16-trillion-dollar U.S. debt, the savings do not look convincing, but may lead to very negative consequences for American society. In the short term, the economic recovery in the U.S. will be slowed down (consider how growth is calculated with inflated securities and distorted numbers of actual production). The quality of life of the middle class who is mostly paying for these savings will be reduced.

Muddling and lumpenization of the middle class, coupled with growth of nationalism, will inevitably exacerbate separatist tendencies in the United States that have been previously subdued by high quality of life. First of all it is a donor state Texas with 30 million-strong population where in the last four years 40 percent of all new jobs in the U.S. were created. Every third Texan believes that the state has the right to self-determination, while 25 percent favor an immediate withdrawal from the U.S. The directive of the feds to tighten their belts is unlikely to reduce the number of supporters of independence. Furthermore, when in the 1930s the independent Republic of Texas signed a contract to join in the United States, it was subject to the reservation that Texas could leave the federation at any time.

In the eight southern states, including Florida and Alabama, where significant part of the population is black, the movement for the proclamation of a new African republic has been developing for many decades. In 1968 a temporary'' black government'' was created that was immediately dismissed by a powerful strike of the FBI, which, however, did not prevent the idea of ​​withdrawal from the United States. There are separatists in California and Michigan, and, given the growth prospects of the minority population to 50 percent, it is clear that the tendency to separate will increase.

There could be another, implicit consequence of reducing military expenditure under sequestration. A number of personnel changes in the Obama administration demonstrated that the foreign policy is fundamentally changing toward less aggressive and non-confrontational military decisions. The appointment as Secretary of Defense of 66 year-old Chuck Hagel, known not only for his intolerance toward homosexuals but also a statement that the U.S. Congress is under the thumb of the Israeli lobby, gives reason to conclude that the U.S. policy in the Middle East is more humanitarian or less carnivorous. In a potential conflict with Iran Israel cannot expect military help from the long-term ally. From this perspective, the forced reduction of military spending is a great excuse to gently exit the geopolitical situation fraught with war in a diplomatic manner, without offending the ally in the Middle East.

Another obvious thing is that costly U.S. policy of promotion and protection of its interests around the globe has exhausted itself. It has been replaced with other methods - financing of color revolutions and use of the information networks. Instead of costly air strikes and ground operations computers and psychological operations are used involving networks of activists. It is no accident that the U.S. military created Cyber ​​Command, and the documents on strategic geopolitical planning introduced a new term - "diffusive wars."

The reduction in military spending should not deceive anyone, as spending on the war only moved into a different, more effective area. The well-known law of the American political establishment - "nothing personal, just the interests of the U.S." - apparently does not change, regardless of the price to be paid.

Yuri Skidanov

Pravda.Ru

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Дмитрий Судаков

Editor’s note: PRESIDENT PUTIN STOP THIS SLAUGHTER! My pet wolf Cheyenne and Miss Chernobyl 2012 implore you to save Russia’s wolves. Lucius Verenus, Schoolmaster, ProbateSharks.com

Miss Chernobyl March, 2012 calender girl, upper photo. A smiling Cheyenne Verenus, lower photo

One dead wolf brings hunter $1,000 in Siberia

07.02.2013 17:00

In Yakutia's Khangalassky region (Siberia), the head of one killed wolf will bring hunters the extra profit of 10,000 rubles ($300), in addition to the already approved reward of 20,000 rubles ($600) from the republic. Thus, killing one wolf in Yakutia returns the profit of 30,000 rubles ($1,000).

Officials of the district administration said that "the decision was taken by the municipality in order to better organize the regulation of the number of gray predators on the territory of the Khangalassky ulus (region)."

For the time being, there are seven mobile teams in the area that hunt for wolves. The Ministry intends to create about 140 teams of wolf hunters. The President of Yakutia, Yegor Borisov, declared a three-month period in the republic to reduce the number of gray predators.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic developed the procedure for hunting wolves. The most popular type of hunting involves aircraft. Traditional ground hunting and hunting with the use of poisons are strictly prohibited.

Copyright © 1999-2013, «PRAVDA.Ru». When reproducing our materials in whole or in part, hyperlink to PRAVDA.Ru should be made. The opinions and views of the authors do not always coincide with the point of view of PRAVDA.Ru's editors.

http://english.pravda.ru/news/russia/07-02-2013/123717-dead_wolf-

Judge falls asleep during trial in Russia

01.02.2013

YouTube caption

Deputy Chairman of Blagoveschensk City Court, , Evgeniy Makhno, asked for a resignation after a video, where the judge appeared asleep during a trial and then made a ruling, went viral. Most likely, his request will be satisfied so the representative of Themis can have some rest and sleep (click here to see the video). Meanwhile, attorneys believe that the judge's actions are criminally punishable.

The scandalous video uploaded on the Internet may cost the judge his title. Judge Makhno became another Internet sensation and was nicknamed , (or ,). On the video, the judge was really asleep (or pretended to be asleep) during the trial. The defendant in the case was Andrei Naletov, an entrepreneur accused of business fraud.

"To attract funds from investors and build the facility," said a participant of the trial in the video. The judge did not react.

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"... Building Code and significantly tighten up ..." continued the voice. The judge moved his lips in his sleep, huddled up in a warm chair and continued to snooze.

The recording was made in August of 2012, but the scandal began when the video went viral.

Judge Makhno asked for resignation, and the chairman of the Amur Regional Court Sergey Semenov fully supported the initiative of his colleague. In addition, the question of Makhno's removal from office will be brought before the Judicial Qualification Board that will start reviewing with the case in early February. The "culprit" of the scandal and the author of the video is Vladislav Nikitenko, a representative of defendant Naletov who was rendered a verdict by the Sleeping Judge. In addition, according to representatives of Naletov's defense, the sentence could have been much softer since the defendant has dependents - a minor child and wife suffering from cancer.

Based on the judge's ruling, the entrepreneur who was accused of fraud went to serve his five-year sentence. The Chairman of the Amur Regional Court also informed of another defendant who was given even a more severe sentence by the Sleeping Judge. Representatives of the defendant believe that the judge deserves a criminal trial.

According to attorneys, Makhno can be charged under the Criminal Code article "Knowingly giving unlawful judgment, decision or other judicial act." The Chairman of the City Court was the only one who stood by Makhno. He said that his colleague fell asleep because of the "enormous workload" imposed on judges in their daily work.

Vladislav Nikitenko said that the illegal decision must be rectified by the release of the convicted, and if does not happen, Nikitenko intended to punish the judge through the Constitutional Court.

In his blog, Nikitenko cited the biography of the Sleeping Judge, stating that Makhno was a distant relative of the Chairman of the Amur Region Court Sergei Semenov. The career of the young lawyer was to a quick start. After graduation, Makhno worked as an assistant of the chairman of the Amur Region Court for a few years, then moved to Tynda and became a federal judge, and then took the position of a deputy in Tynda Court, from where he moved to the position of Deputy Chairman of Blagoveschensk City Court.

Anton Frolov

Pravda.Ru

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http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/crimes/01-02-2013/123656-sleeping_judge-0/

True motives behind Obama's gun 'control' stance

22.01.2013 18:06

By George Green

From abroad I must note that when I was last in America I could see the increasingly authoritarian executive branch paying careless disregard to their oath to uphold the Constitution. Thus I am hardly surprised that President Obama, who seems to have to problem arming American soldiers to interfere with the sovereignty of other nations, has decided to again extend executive power, this time to ban and register firearms. The question is whether he's doing this out of care for protecting schools or something else.

Recently there was a tragedy involving a young man killing many school children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in New Town, Connecticut. This has been used as the so-called 'final straw' requiring unprecedented intervention from the federal government, and explicitly the administrative branch. The strange thing is though, Connecticut itself already had similar laws to the ones prposed including and assault weapons ban. If it didn't work in Connecticut why is the administration proposing it for the whole nation? The chief of police in Newtown was indeed shocked by the firepower the 20 year assailant was packing, but if he didn't obtain it under the laws of Connecticut, how is making it illegal elsewhere going to help?

Criminals and Crazy people will always find a way to create violence; in lieu of assault rifles certainly they'll take up fertilizer and coffee grinders to create bombs as terrorists groups in nations with strict gun laws already have. Yet there's no public outcry to ban gardening. Something else must be compelling Obama, following in the steps of Hitler prior to his seize of power, to go after firearms specifically, and the US amendment that was specifically intended to allow the people to resist the government in an armed struggle by founders who felt that another revolution could one day be necessary. Perhaps Obama isn't worried at all about schools, perhaps he smells revolution in the air.

For those who haven't been following American news; the people are not happy. Two movements have emerged, the so-call Tea Party, and the Occupy movement. The Tea Party movement has held major rallies in cities across America gaining massive support but with relatively no interference by the government. The Occupy movements, seeking to directly protest the financial centers where grievances against the American people have not been addressed and continue unabated, have seen what can only be described as regular abuse of authority by the police; while America accuses other nations, like Russia, of taking a tough line on protests, when it comes to blocking traffic on Wall Street America puts it's boot down hard.

The two groups largely disagree on what should be done but they do agree on one point: The people in power neither care about their issues, nor is the current government capable of addressing their concerns; that may not yet be revolutionary talk but it's getting close to revolutionary thinking. As Obama soon goes to his inauguration, a multi-million dollar event with everything one would expect to need for a rap album release party, he doesn't go with a majority of the people. American voter turn out has been abysmal for years and Americans go to polls far less than other first world countries. Knowing he lacks the support of a majority of the country, enjoying only the support of those not so disappointed with the system that they bother, and that two growing movements identify Federal Government as the problem; maybe we can see why Obama might be concerned with guns. With revolution in the air the most logical thing for an increasingly dictatorial leader to do is to dispense with laws designed to allow for revolution when the government fails to do its job.

As further evidence I'll again point out; the Obama administration has no real problem with assault weapons. Obama himself is surrounded by them every day at public appearances, and every soldier sent abroad is armed with them. Further his administration arms rebels in attacks on governments it doesn't like. Finally a recent program from the administration involved selling assault weapons to drug dealers on the border of Mexico and the United States (resulting already in numerous casualties in America, and in Mexico) in was can only be described as an inept attempt to track drug dealers. (Maybe they should try giving away Improved Explosives to terrorists next?). Certainly the administration doesn't worry about whether assault weapons proliferate they are worried about who has access to them, and knows where they live.

Americans should be taking heed that the administration has a very different plan for America than it says it has abroad. Continually America has been funding revolutions, armed and political, abroad, and arming rebels in many instances. Meanwhile at home the humorously undemocratic two party system is making sure such a revolution cannot take place in America regardless of the will of the people. With the American military already conducting training to put down an uprising within America, and the administration targeting the Second Amendment, the reason is clear; America's elite career politicians are worried. They're not doing the will of the people, the people are catching on, and they're doing all they can to hang onto power rather than do the will of the people. The new gun control laws have nothing to do with schools, and everything to do with propping up a failing state.

George Green

George Edward Green III has been a journalist since 1997, and written for several Technology, Financial, and Libertarian Publications, and lives near L'viv Ukraine

http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/22-01-2013/123540-obama_gun_control-0/

Hope for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

13.12.2012

Scientists reprogram urine cells to generate neurons: Chinese scientists claim to have succeeded in reprogramming cells from human urine into brain cells (neural progenitor), in a study that may contribute to future advances in the treatment of degenerative illnesses like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

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Research has contributed to the advancement of the treatment of degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's...

Chinese scientists claim to have succeeded in reprogramming cells from human urine into brain cells (neural progenitor), in a study that may contribute to future advances in the treatment of degenerative illnesses like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The research, published in the latest edition of the journal Nature Methods, states that urine cells were isolated from three donors, 37, 10 and 22 years, and reprogrammed to generate neural progenitor cells (NPCs), which are precursors of brain cells. These NPCs, in turn, were able to subdivide and "efficiently generate functional neurons" distinct in vitro.

The same scientists had identified last year that human urine contains kidney cells "that can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)." Now, they say they have advanced this method.

"There are still tests lacking, but it is reported that cells survive and divide when transplanted to the brain of a newborn rat," says the study, led by Duanquing Pei, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Healthy neural progenitor cells are a potential source of neurons for research, with the advantage of dividing and, because of that, they can be "expanded" in the laboratory before they are divided into neurons.

Research and testing of drugs

"There is great interest in generating neural progenitors of individuals with degenerative diseases," says a statement from Nature Methods. "And how cells are reprogrammed to be derived from non-invasive (processes) of the urine donor, the study authors suggest that the procedure should be feasible to generate neural progenitors specific for certain diseases," adds the publication.

"Neurons derived from these cells may be useful for research in neurodegenerative illnesses and to test new drugs," the statement concludes.

The researcher Duanquing Pei notes that there is still no effective drugs to combat various neurological diseases. There are important advances in the field of stem cells, but the method is the subject of rcontention by the most conservative wing because the cells are obtained from human embryos.

Furthermore, there is the risk of immune rejection. The advantage of Chinese research is to avoid these dilemmas.

Reporting in the journal Nature suggests that the study could help researchers to produce specific cells faster for each patient, in greater number. "Neural Progenitors proliferate in the culture, so the researchers can produce different cells for their experiments," the report said. A geneticist consulted by the magazine says that another advantage of obtaining cells in this way is that urine can be collected from almost any patient.


Translated from the Portuguese version by:

Lisa Karpova
Pravda.Ru

http://english.pravda.ru/health/13-12-2012/123149-alzheimer_parkinson-0/

Burgers to exterminate mankind in several decades

Burgers to exterminate mankind in several decades


12.09.2012 21:21



Hunger and malnutrition may kill millions of people in 20 years. The global tragedy is likely to be caused by three interrelated factors: fluctuations of food prices, extreme weather conditions and climate instabilities. The contradiction between the growing human needs and objective limits of resource become more and more serious.



Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) released another intimidating statement connected with the growth of global food prices.



"The current situation in world food markets, characterized by sharp increases in the prices on corn, wheat and soybeans generated fears of the repetition of the world food crisis of 2007-2008," the statement said.



Back then, the growing food prices led increased malnutrition in Niger, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. The food crisis also led to civil unrest there. This year, the food crisis may affect the Middle East - Yemen and war-torn Syria in the first place.



The authors of the statement said that coordinated international actions may help cope with the local crisis quickly. They called for immediate action to prevent another large-scale food disaster in the coming months. Typically, the UN food departments see salvation in financial handouts to the crisis-stricken countries that give local authorities a possibility to buy foodstuffs. This is what they call "fast and coordinated international effort."



According to the World Food Programme (WFP), every ten-percent increase in the price of the food basket means that the programme must seek additional $200 million a year to spend the amount on food aid. There were three jumps in food prices during the recent five years. At the same time, UN agencies say that high food prices are just symptoms, not a disease.



"When the international community takes urgent measures to prevent price shocks, one must also struggle with the root causes of this increase," the statement said.



Many officials say that mankind should reconsider, if not a diet, then the sources of production of vital proteins. Ecologists and economists have repeatedly proved that the modern system of agriculture is flawed in terms of excessive focus on cattle-breeding. In its present scale, cattle-breeding is one of the main industries that pollute air, ground and water. The industry is also a huge consumer of resources.



Thus, more than half of all cultivated lands in the United States are occupied by forage crops. In other words, harvests are fed to livestock. Afterwards, harvests return to American people in the form of burgers. According to the UN, "even in good years, the global production of maize can hardly satisfy the world's need in food." In the USA, more than 90 percent of maize is grown for fodder. If the criticism of modern-day cattle-breeding on the part of vegetarians is primarily of humane character, then numerous rational arguments, supported by calculations of ecologists and economists suggest that the further development of this path will lead the world into a deadlock.



There are about 7 billion people living on Earth at the moment. However, the number of domestic animals on the planet nears 17 billion. All of them drink, eat and defecate in much larger quantities than humans.



Cattle consumes enormous amounts of fresh water and food grown by mankind. This is clearly an inefficient way to live, isn't it?



As the UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicted, the food production will have to be increased by 70 percent by 2050 to feed the population of the planet. The demand on livestock products will continue to grow in the coming decades. The meat consumption is expected to grow, by almost 73 percent by 2050, while the consumption of dairy products - by 58 percent compared to the current level of consumption, FAO experts said.



Meanwhile, the further expansion of agricultural areas for the production of animal fodder and the growing number of the livestock population may trigger an ecological disaster and lead to millions of hunger-related deaths.



In turn, the further deterioration of the environmental situation may lead to climate changes. According to forecasts from Oxfam charity organization, Oxford, it is droughts and floods that will cause a sharp rise in food prices in the coming years.



Anatoly Miranovsky



Pravda.Ru



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http://english.pravda.ru/business/companies/12-09-2012/122148-food_crisis-0/