Category Archives: International

Chronic overeating caused by the same condition that causes Anorexia

Researchers from the University of New South Wales think they’ve figured out what causes people to overeat, to the point of obesity.  It’s the same thing that causes anorexia: Executive Function Disorders.

EFD is a brain condition that prevents people from being able to organize their lives.  The Australian scientists think that obese people, and anorexic people are just the extreme opposites of the same condition.

Anorexics deal with not being able to deal with food by not eating it.  Obese people deal with not being able to deal with food by not thinking about what, and how much they’re eating.

The researchers think therapies used for anorexics, should work with chronically obese people.

Bacteria can stop Dengue Fever

“This is a simple, non-chemical, non-harmful way to reduce the threat of dengue to humans. It could have a transformative effect on the health of literally millions of people worldwide.”Alun Lloyd

North Carolina State University researchers have discovered that common bacterias can stop the spread of Dengue fever.  The research involved scientists from Australia.

The researchers found that a bacterium called Wolbachia, which is not harmful to humans, can block the transmission of Dengue in mosquitoes.  They think by releasing mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, it could radically reduce cases of Dengue fever.


What Economic Recovery? Big Beer maker in Europe sees Drop in Profits

Heineken, Europe’s biggest beer maker, made a profit the first half of this year, but no where near what they were hoping for.

Their net profit was 694 million euros (U.S.$999.38 million).  That’s a drop compared to the first half of last year, when they netted 700 million euros.

They still made a big profit this year, but it shocked Heineken’s own analysts because they were expecting to make much more money.

Steve Jobs resigns, Apple Board rushing to bring in replacment

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”-Steve Jobs

Co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, has been fighting cancer, and now he has resigned.  No confirmation if it’s due to his health.

Tim Cook has already been picked to replace Jobs, and the board of Apple is rushing to get Cook into the CEO position.

Coriander / Cilantro can kill bacteria

The Science Daily reporting that Portuguese scientists discovered that oil from coriander, aka cilantro, makes a good anti-biotic.

“The results indicate that coriander oil damages the membrane surrounding the bacterial cell.  This disrupts the barrier between the cell and its environment and inhibits essential processes including respiration, which ultimately leads to death of the bacterial cell.”-Fernanda Domingues.

Researchers confirmed that coriander/cilantro oil can affect 12 types of bacterial strains, and some were killed by solutions containing 1.6% or less coriander oil.  The oil comes from the seeds of the plant.  Not only could it be used as an anti-biotic, but it might be used to preserve food.

Pakistan orders 250 U.S. officials out of the country

Pakistan has given the U.S. embassy 40 days to remove 250 U.S. officials.

Pakistan says the U.S. officials are involved in high-level espionage and anti-state activities.

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, cut short his vacation to deal with the situation.  The situation has gotten worse in Pakistan, because the United States has greatly increased the number of drone attacks.  Pakistani officials, and independent observers, say the majority of people killed in the U.S. drone attacks are civilians.  In some cases the target of the attack is totally missed, and dozens of bystanders are killed.  U.S. officials have dismissed independent investigations that show that several hundreds of children have been killed.

 

Confirmed, U.S. & EU push to unfreeze Libyan assets is because Rebels are broke, African countries opposed

The United States, Europe and other countries are pushing for the United Nations to unfreeze billions in Libyan assets.  This is on top of what the U.S. is unfreezing.

A Libyan rebel official admitted in a press conference they needed the money “…for supplies…to pay salaries.”

From the beginning the African Union has been oppossed to the NATO action in Libya.  Libya is a member of the African Union, and the AU wasn’t even consulted by the the United States and Europe, before the United Nations was tricked into approving military action against Libya.

South Africa, one of the most powerful members of the AU says it will vote no on unfreezing Libyan assets.

 

Bab al-Azizia a trap for Rebels, being hit from all sides

Reports that the Bab al-Azizia military compound in Tripoli, is under intense attack by government forces.

The fighting has been going on for hours.  Initially rebels found hidden tunnels under the compound.  Government forces were hiding inside and began attacking the rebels.

Then in the early hours of the next morning government forces appeared on the streets of Tripoli, heading towards Bab al-Azizia.  Witnesses say government forces surrounded the compound, the rebels having to fight government forces from inside, and outside the compound.

Reporters held in Rixos Hotel freed after Libyan official in London issued order

Libyan government forces let at least 35 reporters go free.  They were hold up in the Rixos Hotel in Tripoli.

It happened after Mahmud Nacua, the Libyan charge d’affairs at the Libyan embassy in London, urged the government forces to let the journalists go free.

CNN’s Mathew Chance said the government gunmen “…literally cast away their weapons and said they were sorry to us.”