'Once again an animal influenza A virus has crossed the species barrier to cause an appreciable number of human cases. Now, two months after the first known human infections with the H7N9 virus, the question is: which of the paths set by previous emerging influenza viruses will it follow?

One predecessor, H5N1, generated alarm owing to its high pathogenicity in humans. It has proved to be a tenacious adversary, remaining endemic in poultry across large parts of Asia, but thankfully it has not adapted to humans and person-to-person transmission remains rare. A second, H7N7, caused a number of mostly mild human infections in the Netherlands in 2003, with some evidence of limited person-to-person spread, but extensive poultry culling controlled it. A third, the H1N1 swine influenza virus that emerged in 2009, successfully adapted to humans and caused a pandemic...'

'April 24, 2013 – CHINA - A new bird flu strain that has killed 22 people in China is “one of the most lethal” of its kind and transmits more easily to humans than another strain that has killed hundreds since 2003, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Wednesday. The H7N9 flu has infected 108 people in China since it was first detected in March, according to the Geneva-based WHO. Although it is not clear exactly how people are being infected, experts say they see no evidence so far of the most worrisome scenario – sustained transmission between people. An international team of scientists led by the WHO and the Chinese government conducted a five-day investigation in China, but said they were no closer to determining whether the virus might become transmissible between people. “The situation remains complex and difficult and evolving,” said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s assistant director-general for health security. “When we look at influenza viruses, this is an unusually dangerous virus for humans,” he said at a briefing. Another bird flu strain – H5N1 – has killed 30 of the 45 people it infected in China between 2003 and 2013, and although the H7N9 strain in the current outbreak has a lower fatality rate to date, Fukuda said: “This is definitely one of the most lethal influenza viruses that we’ve seen so far.” Scientists who have analyzed genetic sequence data from samples from three H7N9 victims say the strain is a so-called “triple reassortant” virus with a mixture of genes from three other flu strains found in birds in Asia...'

'...Flu mutating 8 times faster than any flu virus known: The new bird flu could be mutating up to eight times faster than an average flu virus around a protein that binds it to humans, a team of research scientists in Shenzhen says. Dr .He Jiankui, an associate professor at South University of Science and Technology of China, said yesterday that the authorities should be alarmed by the results of their research and step up monitoring and control efforts to prevent a possible pandemic. With genetic code of the virus obtained from mainland authorities, the team scrutinized haemagglutinin, a protein that plays a crucial rule in the process of infection...'

World’s leading virologist warns of potential human-to-human transmission of H7N9

'April 29, 2013 – CHINA – There is no evidence that the deadly H7N9 bird flu has yet spread between humans in China but health authorities must be ready for the virus to mutate at any time, a top US virologist has warned. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said officials in China had studied more than 1,000 close contacts of confirmed cases and not found any evidence of human-to-human transmission. “That is powerful evidence because if you had a thousand contacts with someone with the flu you would be pretty sure some of them would have been infected,” Fauci said in an interview with AFP. Nevertheless, Fauci cautioned that authorities needed to be ready for the possibility of the virus mutating and spreading between humans. “It’s unpredictable as are all the influenza. One of the things we need to be concerned about is this might gain the capability of going human-to-human which up to this point has not happened and is somewhat encouraging news,” Fauci said. “But we still need to be very prepared for the eventuality of that happening.”'

BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A man infected with the H7N9 avian influenza died of multiple organ failure on Monday, local authorities said.

The 61-year-old patient was transferred from the city of Langfan in north China's Hebei Province to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital for treatment on July 18. He tested positive for the H7N9 virus on July 20.

A single human infection of H7N9 was confirmed in south China's Guangdong Province on Friday, bringing the total number of infections on the Chinese mainland to 134 this year. Forty-four of the infections have resulted in death.

'...Ron Aasheim of FWP said, "We'll see fish kills occasionally. Usually there's something like maybe a chemical that inadvertently got into the water source. But otherwise, it's not common. Sometimes we'll see fish kills at this time of year due to high water temperatures and low water flows, but nothing to this extent. So this is unusual."'

'A 60-foot-wide sinkhole formed under a resort in central Florida late Sunday, forcing guests out of their rooms as one three-story building collapsed and another slowly sank.Guests at the Summer Bay Resort in Clermont, about 10 minutes from Walt Disney World, called for help before the collapse, saying they heard loud noises and windows cracking. All guests inside the buildings -- an estimated 35 people, authorities said -- were evacuated before the first structure crumbled...'

August 13, 2013 – CLERMONT, Fla. — An official at the Florida resort where a villa was partially swallowed into the ground says it doesn’t appear the sinkhole on the site is growing. Summer Bay Resort President Paul Caldwell told reporters during a news conference Tuesday that engineers examined the 100-foot sinkhole at Clermont resort and determined there’s no reason to believe it will grow. Caldwell says the resort remains open, but with three buildings still unoccupied. The resort is taking claims from guests staying in the collapsed building...

The reason scientists are saying earth's core is hotter than previously believed isn't what you were taught in school. There is an internal sun which shines inside the hollow earth. Yes, the earth is hollow and there are people and much animal life inside.

'The Air Force Global Strike Command Inspector General team conducted an inspection of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base from August 5-13 to evaluate the organization's ability to execute operations while complying with nuclear surety standards.

According to a press release from Air Force Global Strike Command, the 341st Missile Wing received a rating of "unsatisfactory" after making "tactical-level errors during one of several exercises conducted during the inspection."

The failure resulted in the entire inspection being graded "unsatisfactory."'

The reason scientists are saying earth's core is hotter than previously believed isn't what you were taught in school. There is an internal sun which shines inside the hollow earth. Yes, the earth is hollow and there are people and much animal life inside.

'They are an amazing and highly beneficial insect species that quite literally underpins the sustenance of life as we know it on planet earth. But honeybees are increasingly threatened by an onslaught of harmful influences, not the least of which includes the perpetuation of industrial agriculture and its excessive use of toxic, bee-killing crop chemicals, both of which have contributed to the massive bee die-off phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD...'

'A survey, run by Strathclyde academics on behalf of the Scottish Beekeepers' Association, indicated 31.3 per cent of managed honey bee colonies in Scotland failed to survive last winter -- almost double the previous year's loss rate of 15.9 per cent.Dr Alison Gray and Magnus Peterson, of Strathclyde's Department of Mathematics and Statistics, warn the figures ought to be of major concern because bees play a pivotal role in crop pollination, agricultural yields and, therefore, food supply and prices.Last winter's figures represent 156 colonies lost during the winter of 2012-13, out of a total of 498 colonies being managed by beekeepers taking part in the survey. Furthermore, 67 of the 117 beekeepers who provided useable data reported losing at least some of their colonies between 1 October 2012 and 1 April 2013...

Dead sea lions washing on shore in California appear to have died from radiation poisoning

"(NaturalNews) An unusual surge of stranded dying and dead sea lions (seals) have littered Southern California beaches from Santa Barbara to San Diego since earlier this year. Most of the area newspapers and media outlets have been alarmingly reporting this unusual phenomenon.

It's unusual because this is the season when sea lion pups flourish. Instead they're struggling ashore in starved, emaciated conditions, if they've managed to stay alive. Scientists say almost half the sea lions born this past winter have died..."

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Starving sea lion pups are washing up on Southern California beaches at a rate more than five times higher than usual, and scientists are scrambling to figure out why, officials said Wednesday.

Since the beginning of the year, 1,293 emaciated sea lions found stranded on beaches from San Diego to Santa Barbara have been treated at seven facilities in the state, Sarah Wilkin of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said during a conference call with reporters.

Last month, the agency declared an "unusual mortality event" that allowed more scientists to help search for the cause.

A leading hypothesis is lack of available food. Researchers were also doing tests to see if pollution, disease outbreak or algae bloom are to blame.

Most of the pups being treated weighed between 20 and 30 pounds when they were found, with some as small as 18 pounds. The animals should weigh about 65 pounds by now, she said.

As many as 25 percent of the seals have died after being brought in for treatment.

'Scientists still don't know why nearly 1,300 sickly sea lions have beached themselves on the shores of southern California since the beginning of the year. However, they think some weird oceanic phenomenon may be blocking off the sea lion pups' source of food, scientists reported today (April 17).

The stranded sea lions -- mostly pups born last summer -- are typically turning up alive, but severely emaciated, some weighing less than 20 pounds (9 kg) when they should be well over 50 pounds (22 kg), marine officials say.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared an "unusual mortality event" last month in light of the spike in strandings. Since the beginning of the year, 1,293 sea lions have washed ashore from San Diego County to Santa Barbara County. That's more than five times higher than the region's historical average of 236, averaged from the same period of time (January through April) from 2008 to 2012, said Sarah Wilkin, NOAA's marine mammal stranding coordinator for California...'

'At least 54 bottlenose dolphins have died mysteriously in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon since January. Today, the federal government is stepping in to help find out what’s killing them.

In a normal year, that number would be closer to 22.

On July 24, NOAA declared the mass die-off an “Unusual Mortality Event” — a declaration that will send federal resources and scientists to help teams already on the ground in Florida. It’s the lagoon’s worst dolphin die-off on record, and the cause is mysterious...'

Federal investigation started on mysterious deaths of bottlenose dolphins at Indian River Lagoon, Florida - US

'On July 24, 2013 NOAA declared the mass die-off of bottlenose dolphins in Florida's Indian River Lagoon an "Unusual Mortality Event" - UME. This declaration will send federal resources and scientists to help teams already on the ground.Indian River Lagoon suffered this year the worst bottlenose dolphin die-off on record. At least 54 of them mysteriously died since January and investigation so far showed both sexes and all ages are affected. All of them are thin and bony. (It is estimated that between 200 - 800 such dolphins live in the lagoon.)The lagoon is troubled ecosystem and had numerous die-offs so far but scientists don't know if they are linked. Multiple investigations are ongoing...'

'Namibian government declared a state of emergency on May 17, 2013 due to prolonged dry season which resulted in widespread crop failure across the country. About 780,000 people (approximately one third of Namibia’s entire population) are now classified as food insecure...'

Rainfall fell by 58% comparing to last year, water reductions in Tehran, Iran

'Heatwave is scourging Iran bringing temperatures to alarming heights which, combined with the lack of rainfall, created drinking water shortages and reductions.Dr. Abbas Ranjbar, a faculty member of the Tehran-based meteorology research center said that the maximum temperature in Tehran reached 41 degrees Celsius last week, which is close to a sixty-year high of 42.6 degrees recorded on July 18, 1988. He added that rainfall in Tehran Province fell by 58% this spring comparing to the same periods last year...'

'While most of Germany endures exceptional heatwave, eyewitnesses from village of Wassel in Sehnte reported hailstones the size of tennis balls on Saturday, July 27, 2013. AP brings video with images of damaged houses and vehicles:'

'Heavy monsoon rains are causing more flooding in south east Asia. Myanmar officials reported on Wednesday, July 31, 2013, that severe flooding caused nearly 25 000 people to evacuate in Karen State, eastern Myanmar. Heavy rains and landslides are making flood-hit areas difficult to reach.Myanmar was badly hit in August 2012 when about 85 000 people were displaced by floods caused by unusually heavy monsoon rains...'

I read an interesting blog recently about the lack of earthquakes in the Cascadia zone. The writer also mentions that the Charlotte Island quakes were something that has not been recorded before and they are still trying to figure it out.

Apparently this area zone averages 300-350 years between 8+ earthquakes and the last one occurred in January 26, 1700; 312 years ago…looks like we are due! It’ll be interesting to see how the high rise buildings react to a long duration quake. Most building codes for earthquakes are for short duration quakes. Combine that with the massive tsunami, which will be similar to the one spoke of in the Makah Tsunami legend. The legend that has been confirmed by geological evidence.

While I was finding the above information I also stumbled across some interesting volcano activity. Most interesting is the Newberry Volcano. It is the largest volcano in the Cascades, covering an area the size of Rhode Island. Its last eruption was 1300 years ago and the last major eruption 75,000 years ago. Now fast forward to today; over the last 40 years Newberry volcano has averaged 0 earthquakes. In the month of November there have been 24 earthquakes! Mount Hood and Rainer have both show increased activity in the same mountain chain. Iceland, Alaska and Russia all show increased activity as well. Most recent change further north was the Cleveland Volcano. On November 10, 2012 there was an ash cloud and they changed the alert level from ADVISORY to WATCH with the following warning, “Sudden explosions of blocks and ash remain possible with little or no warning. The previous confirmed explosion occurred on November 10. Ash clouds, if produced, could exceed 20,000 feet above sea level.”

The fire & brimstone (sulfur) that will rain down do not come from outside our planet. This will all come from volcanoes erupting miles into the atmosphere. The molten rock and ash will come raining back down into the extremely dry (decade of drought), beetle killed forest (plague?), there will be huge wildfires. The earth will shake and the crust will rupture, an extreme amount of methane and other gases will be released (smells like sulfur)…there will be large explosions where the gas releases near wildfires & molten rock…where there is no ignition the fumes will cause massive die off of many living things. There will be a giant wave that will wipe out the coast line and the waters will never recede back to their current levels.

'ER reports that elevated seismicity continues at Mount Rainier (station STAR) and near Mount Saint Helens (station SHW) volcanoes in the Washington Cascades, US.Event depths at Mount Saint Helens average around 13 km and form a radial pattern in relation to the volcano, nearly opposite the northeast-trending spoke of seismicity which had affected the volcano through most of this summer. Earthquake depths at Rainier are much shallower (averaging 3 to 4 km depth) and likely reflect minor adjustments within the volcano’s hydrothermal system. Small earthquakes also continue to emanate from the hydrothermal system beneath Lassen Peak volcano (CA) (station MEM), as “slow-slip” continues along the subduction zone west of the volcano. Seismicity seems to be easing beneath the “South Moat” of Long Valley caldera (CA)...

'August 9, 2013 – JAPAN - Two and a half years after the Fukushima tragedy Japan does not want to admit how serious it is, but it is obvious the drastic environmental implications are to follow, Harvey Wasserman, journalist and advocate for renewable energy, told RT.

RT: Japanese officials have admitted a leak at Fukushima has been happening for two years and is worse than earlier thought. Why did it take so long to evaluate the actual repercussions of the tragedy and take decisive measures to tackle them?

HW: The Japanese authorities have been covering up the true depth of the disaster because they don’t want to embarrass themselves and the global nuclear industry and they are trying to open up another nuclear plant in Japan. When the Japanese people now find out that the accident is worse than we thought and they have been leaking many tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean for almost two and a half years, this is a catastrophe. Tokyo Electric has no idea how to control this accident. This is absolutely terrifying after two and a half years. To find out that these reactors have been out of control, now that they can’t control this they don’t know what’s going on. This is not a primitive backward country; this is Japan with advanced technology. It has very serious implications for nuclear power all over the world.

RT: Why the plant’s operator failed to contain the leak?

HW: Because they don’t know what to do. This has never happened before. You have three explosions; you have four nuclear reactors that are severely compromised. No one ever planned for this. This is an apocalyptic event. This is something that could contaminate the entire Pacific Ocean. It is extremely serious. The reality is that Tokyo Electric does not know what is happening and does not know how to control what is going on. Our entire planet is at risk here. This is two and a half years after these explosions and they are still in the dark. It’s terrifying.'

Fukushima now in state of emergency, leaking 300 tons of radioactive water into the ocean daily

'Japan's nuclear watchdog has now declared the leak of radioactive water from Fukushima a "state of emergency." Each day, 300 tons of radioactive water seeps into the ocean, and it's now clear that TEPCO has engage in a two-and-a-half-year cover-up of immense magnitude.

"I believe it's been leaking into the ocean from the start of the crisis two-and-a-half years ago," disclosed a 12-year TEPCO veteran named Suzuki-san (SOURCE)

"There are still reactor buildings we haven't gotten into yet," said another worker named Fujimoto-san. "So there's always the possibility of another explosion..."'

"We've got it all here in Florida, and this isn't even a horror flick — car-eating sinkholes, monster storms, pythons in the wild, sharks in the water, alligators in back yards and pit bulls in trailers.

Now, Mother Nature is about to whack us with another little gift: gallinippers, the mother of all mosquitoes.

So named because they're said to nip a gallon of blood, these supersized mosquitoes could swarm across Florida this summer, according to those at the University of Florida who study the loathsome bugs. As if we don't have enough regular skeeters. And this is Lake County — you know we're going to lead the pack on this one..."

'Enormous mosquitoes known as gallinippers (or Psorophora ciliata) have been spotted in Florida, according to WKMG, a CBS affiliate. The insects are about 20 times larger than most common mosquitoes. The sighting comes after a warning by the University of Florida that there could be a bumper crop of these mosquitoes this summer...'

'Hey, it looks like we found something useful to do with drones besides serving lukewarm sushi to unsuspecting customers. City officials in Florida Keys are testing using the unmanned aerial vehicles to track down and take out the flying devils, a.k.a mosquitoes.

In case you’re imagining drones shooting lasers, the flying robots will be equipped with infrared cameras to locate areas where mosquitoes like to socialize, such as shallow-water pools. Once those places are targeted a ground team will swoop in to obliterate the mosquitoes with poison...

'Havre Sector U.S. Border Patrol agents made an arrest in Havre this week, apprehending a man from Croatia suspected of ditching his job on a foreign ship and boarding Amtrak headed east.

“This arrest shows the depth of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” Havre Sector Chief Patrol Agent Christopher Richards said in a press release Tuesday. “This deserter illegally entered the country in Seattle, Wash., and through the combined efforts of both the Office of Field Operations and the Border Patrol, he was successfully located and apprehended in Havre, Mont., within 24 hours...”'

'Aid workers in war-torn Somalia are struggling to contain a dangerous outbreak of the crippling polio virus, with rampant insecurity hampering efforts, the United Nations said Friday.

Six years after the Horn of Africa nation was declared free of the virus, at least 105 cases have been confirmed in Somalia, the "worst outbreak in the world in a non-endemic country," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement.

While some four million people have been vaccinated, getting drugs to more than 600,000 children in southern and central Somalia -- areas partly under control of the Al-Qaeda linked Shebab, who block vaccination efforts -- is "extremely challenging", it added.

"The inability to fully access these areas constitute a major threat to the control of the outbreak," the statement read, warning that "Somalia remains one of the most difficult and dangerous environments in the world for aid workers."

While over 100 cases of children have been recorded, "the fact that this number of children show symptoms of paralysis means that there are probably thousands more with the virus, who do not have symptoms, but are capable of spreading it," OCHA added...'

i find it difficult to believe that i was raised catholic and fell to this clever plan of satan. i am a christian and christ is my savior. Although, fullfilment does come from within, and i do firmly believe that the second coming of christ has to do with every human becoming aware of jesus word that we're the light of the world, and through that we are all children of god, egual to christ. not necessarily christ but equal that we are all gods children. EVen if i cannot say that there is a "God," equivalent to that in the bible, but most certainly a higher, supreme, being that created this world. This life is impossible with out It and science can only develop theories to try and withstand His almighty design... quantam physics(in my eyes) is His "f--- you" to science saying "figure that out smart asses"

.. If i am wrong so be it, but damn is this life confusing.

All i can do is live in the moment and try to remember that jesus has taught me to be the light of the world.

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 23959049

Just lmaool! "...quantum physics is His "f-you to science saying "figure that out you smart asses".

Thanks, you made my day, and don't worry, the "Great Vindication" of believers is on the way!

i find it difficult to believe that i was raised catholic and fell to this clever plan of satan. i am a christian and christ is my savior. Although, fullfilment does come from within, and i do firmly believe that the second coming of christ has to do with every human becoming aware of jesus word that we're the light of the world, and through that we are all children of god, egual to christ. not necessarily christ but equal that we are all gods children. EVen if i cannot say that there is a "God," equivalent to that in the bible, but most certainly a higher, supreme, being that created this world. This life is impossible with out It and science can only develop theories to try and withstand His almighty design... quantam physics(in my eyes) is His "f--- you" to science saying "figure that out smart asses"

.. If i am wrong so be it, but damn is this life confusing.

All i can do is live in the moment and try to remember that jesus has taught me to be the light of the world.

Quoting: Anonymous Coward 23959049

Just LMAOOL! Thanks, You just made my day! "...Quantum physics is His "f--- you" to science saying " figure that out you smart asses".

'An “epidemic” of pigeon deaths in Moscow has sparked speculation that birds were succumbing to a virus dangerous to human beings. People who came across sick birds paying no attention to cars or passersby described them as "zombie pigeons."

On Wednesday the Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection Service reported that the birds’ abnormal behavior was caused by the so-called “Newcastle disease,” which can spread to humans...'

'Once again an animal influenza A virus has crossed the species barrier to cause an appreciable number of human cases. Now, two months after the first known human infections with the H7N9 virus, the question is: which of the paths set by previous emerging influenza viruses will it follow?

One predecessor, H5N1, generated alarm owing to its high pathogenicity in humans. It has proved to be a tenacious adversary, remaining endemic in poultry across large parts of Asia, but thankfully it has not adapted to humans and person-to-person transmission remains rare. A second, H7N7, caused a number of mostly mild human infections in the Netherlands in 2003, with some evidence of limited person-to-person spread, but extensive poultry culling controlled it. A third, the H1N1 swine influenza virus that emerged in 2009, successfully adapted to humans and caused a pandemic...'

'April 24, 2013 – CHINA - A new bird flu strain that has killed 22 people in China is “one of the most lethal” of its kind and transmits more easily to humans than another strain that has killed hundreds since 2003, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Wednesday. The H7N9 flu has infected 108 people in China since it was first detected in March, according to the Geneva-based WHO. Although it is not clear exactly how people are being infected, experts say they see no evidence so far of the most worrisome scenario – sustained transmission between people. An international team of scientists led by the WHO and the Chinese government conducted a five-day investigation in China, but said they were no closer to determining whether the virus might become transmissible between people. “The situation remains complex and difficult and evolving,” said Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s assistant director-general for health security. “When we look at influenza viruses, this is an unusually dangerous virus for humans,” he said at a briefing. Another bird flu strain – H5N1 – has killed 30 of the 45 people it infected in China between 2003 and 2013, and although the H7N9 strain in the current outbreak has a lower fatality rate to date, Fukuda said: “This is definitely one of the most lethal influenza viruses that we’ve seen so far.” Scientists who have analyzed genetic sequence data from samples from three H7N9 victims say the strain is a so-called “triple reassortant” virus with a mixture of genes from three other flu strains found in birds in Asia...'

'...Flu mutating 8 times faster than any flu virus known: The new bird flu could be mutating up to eight times faster than an average flu virus around a protein that binds it to humans, a team of research scientists in Shenzhen says. Dr .He Jiankui, an associate professor at South University of Science and Technology of China, said yesterday that the authorities should be alarmed by the results of their research and step up monitoring and control efforts to prevent a possible pandemic. With genetic code of the virus obtained from mainland authorities, the team scrutinized haemagglutinin, a protein that plays a crucial rule in the process of infection...'

World’s leading virologist warns of potential human-to-human transmission of H7N9

'April 29, 2013 – CHINA – There is no evidence that the deadly H7N9 bird flu has yet spread between humans in China but health authorities must be ready for the virus to mutate at any time, a top US virologist has warned. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said officials in China had studied more than 1,000 close contacts of confirmed cases and not found any evidence of human-to-human transmission. “That is powerful evidence because if you had a thousand contacts with someone with the flu you would be pretty sure some of them would have been infected,” Fauci said in an interview with AFP. Nevertheless, Fauci cautioned that authorities needed to be ready for the possibility of the virus mutating and spreading between humans. “It’s unpredictable as are all the influenza. One of the things we need to be concerned about is this might gain the capability of going human-to-human which up to this point has not happened and is somewhat encouraging news,” Fauci said. “But we still need to be very prepared for the eventuality of that happening.”'

BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A man infected with the H7N9 avian influenza died of multiple organ failure on Monday, local authorities said.

The 61-year-old patient was transferred from the city of Langfan in north China's Hebei Province to Beijing Chaoyang Hospital for treatment on July 18. He tested positive for the H7N9 virus on July 20.

A single human infection of H7N9 was confirmed in south China's Guangdong Province on Friday, bringing the total number of infections on the Chinese mainland to 134 this year. Forty-four of the infections have resulted in death.

'Half a million chickens are to be culled in a district on the outskirts of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, as efforts to combat a major outbreak of bird flu are stepped up. Tens of thousands of birds have already been killed in what government officials have described as one of the country’s worst outbreaks of avian flu. Now authorities in the Himalayan nation have declared the area of Bhaktapur an emergency zone. Some 62 cases of bird flu have been recorded at 250 poultry farms in three districts in the past few weeks, officials said...

'It is a painful time for Americans of my age. We have the memories of an America, glorious and honorable in her past… a past, which has been forgotten and erased, in many cases, from the history books of America’s students. Above all things our America was honorable. A young American today would be hard pressed to define “honor.” To define “dishonorable” is much easier.

As we Americans view ourselves in that inner mirror, we can know that even today, America can be defeated… only by herself. And that is the shameful path we have chosen.

One of our Founding Fathers and President, John Adams, once said: “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."

Americans of my generation, who still recognize a republic, when we see one, also recognize when that republic is gone. The American republic is gone … replaced by a socialist government… complete with Central Planning. You see, the new socialist government in America has grasped the American economic system, and by doing so, it now has absolute power over the American people. It will now rapidly proceed to destroy our liberty. Indeed, it has already begun.

There are a few basic, fundamental truths people who live in a republic know. Truths, which we Americans, have forgotten because our horrible public education system failed to educate our children over the past two generations. They are truths which all people who want to live free know. Now, I am not referring to living free under a socialist government and in a socialist society as we have now chosen. These are truths FREE MEN and FREE Women (like we used to be) know...'

'August 9, 2013 – JAPAN - Two and a half years after the Fukushima tragedy Japan does not want to admit how serious it is, but it is obvious the drastic environmental implications are to follow, Harvey Wasserman, journalist and advocate for renewable energy, told RT.

RT: Japanese officials have admitted a leak at Fukushima has been happening for two years and is worse than earlier thought. Why did it take so long to evaluate the actual repercussions of the tragedy and take decisive measures to tackle them?

HW: The Japanese authorities have been covering up the true depth of the disaster because they don’t want to embarrass themselves and the global nuclear industry and they are trying to open up another nuclear plant in Japan. When the Japanese people now find out that the accident is worse than we thought and they have been leaking many tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean for almost two and a half years, this is a catastrophe. Tokyo Electric has no idea how to control this accident. This is absolutely terrifying after two and a half years. To find out that these reactors have been out of control, now that they can’t control this they don’t know what’s going on. This is not a primitive backward country; this is Japan with advanced technology. It has very serious implications for nuclear power all over the world.

RT: Why the plant’s operator failed to contain the leak?

HW: Because they don’t know what to do. This has never happened before. You have three explosions; you have four nuclear reactors that are severely compromised. No one ever planned for this. This is an apocalyptic event. This is something that could contaminate the entire Pacific Ocean. It is extremely serious. The reality is that Tokyo Electric does not know what is happening and does not know how to control what is going on. Our entire planet is at risk here. This is two and a half years after these explosions and they are still in the dark. It’s terrifying.'

Fukushima now in state of emergency, leaking 300 tons of radioactive water into the ocean daily

'Japan's nuclear watchdog has now declared the leak of radioactive water from Fukushima a "state of emergency." Each day, 300 tons of radioactive water seeps into the ocean, and it's now clear that TEPCO has engage in a two-and-a-half-year cover-up of immense magnitude.

"I believe it's been leaking into the ocean from the start of the crisis two-and-a-half years ago," disclosed a 12-year TEPCO veteran named Suzuki-san (SOURCE)

"There are still reactor buildings we haven't gotten into yet," said another worker named Fujimoto-san. "So there's always the possibility of another explosion..."'

Fukushima apocalypse: Years of ‘duct tape fixes’ could result in ‘millions of deaths’

'Even the tiniest mistake during an operation to extract over 1,300 fuel rods at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan could lead to a series of cascading failures with an apocalyptic outcome, fallout researcher Christina Consolo told RT.

Fukushima operator TEPCO wants to extract 400 tons worth of spent fuel rods stored in a pool at the plant’s damaged Reactor No. 4. The removal would have to be done manually from the top store of the damaged building in the radiation-contaminated environment.

In the worst-case scenario, a mishandled rod may go critical, resulting in an above-ground meltdown releasing radioactive fallout with no way to stop it, said Consolo, who is the founder and host of Nuked Radio. But leaving the things as they are is not an option, because statistical risk of a similarly bad outcome increases every day, she said...'

'Up to 100,000 people may be evacuated from flood-hit regions in Russia’s Far East. Water levels at local reservoirs have already reached historic highs, and officials say the floods raging in the area are expected to continue rising even further.

Floods are currently affecting over 32,500 locals living in over 5,000 homes. Over 17,000 residents have already left the area over the disaster.

Viktor Ishayev, Russia’s Minister for the Far East, said that "in the worst-case scenario up to 100,000 people could be evacuated" from the Amur, Khabarovsk and Jewish Autonomous Regions.

Dozens of bridges have been swamped by the waters, complicating the evacuation...'

'Shanghai saw its hottest July in 140 years as temperatures soared to 100ºF or higher for 10 straight days between July 23 and August 1. The coastal city reached 95ºF (35ºC) or higher on 25 days last month, 14 of which exceeded 100ºF (37.8ºC).

[Last week], Shanghai eclipsed its all-time record high temperature set barely two weeks ago. The Shanghai Daily reports that the city’s meteorological bureau recorded a temperature of 105.4ºF (40.8ºC) on August 7, which breaks the previous record of 105.1º (40.6ºC) from both July 26 and August 6, 2013. Prior to this year, the all-time high at Shanghai’s Xujiahui weather observatory was 104.4ºF set in 1934.'

'For the entire month of July and the first half of August, eastern China has been baking in a record-breaking heat wave. Nineteen provinces endured above-normal temperatures. Shanghai broke its all-time record high three times in as many weeks. The current record—40.8 degrees Celsius (105.4°F)—was set on August 7, 2013. At least 40 people have died during the heat wave, including ten in Shanghai, according to the Xinhua news service...'

But newly released research findings from University of Utah neuroscientists assert that there is no evidence within brain imaging that indicates some people are right-brained or left-brained.

For years in popular culture, the terms left-brained and right-brained have come to refer to personality types, with an assumption that some people use the right side of their brain more, while some use the left side more.

Following a two-year study, University of Utah researchers have debunked that myth through identifying specific networks in the left and right brain that process lateralized functions.

Lateralization of brain function means that there are certain mental processes that are mainly specialized to one of the brain’s left or right hemispheres. During the course of the study, researchers analyzed resting brain scans of 1,011 people between the ages of seven and 29. In each person, they studied functional lateralization of the brain measured for thousands of brain regions —finding no relationship that individuals preferentially use their left -brain network or right- brain network more often.'

'They are an amazing and highly beneficial insect species that quite literally underpins the sustenance of life as we know it on planet earth. But honeybees are increasingly threatened by an onslaught of harmful influences, not the least of which includes the perpetuation of industrial agriculture and its excessive use of toxic, bee-killing crop chemicals, both of which have contributed to the massive bee die-off phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD...'

'A survey, run by Strathclyde academics on behalf of the Scottish Beekeepers' Association, indicated 31.3 per cent of managed honey bee colonies in Scotland failed to survive last winter -- almost double the previous year's loss rate of 15.9 per cent.Dr Alison Gray and Magnus Peterson, of Strathclyde's Department of Mathematics and Statistics, warn the figures ought to be of major concern because bees play a pivotal role in crop pollination, agricultural yields and, therefore, food supply and prices.Last winter's figures represent 156 colonies lost during the winter of 2012-13, out of a total of 498 colonies being managed by beekeepers taking part in the survey. Furthermore, 67 of the 117 beekeepers who provided useable data reported losing at least some of their colonies between 1 October 2012 and 1 April 2013...

Do Herbicides Alter Ecosystems Around the World? Scant Research Makes It Hard to Prove

'Aug. 16, 2013 — The number of humans on the planet has almost doubled in the past 50 years...and so has global food production. As a result, the use of pesticides and their effect on humans, animals and plants have become more important. Many laboratory studies have shown that pesticides can harm organisms which they were not meant to affect. Intensive farming is also linked to collapsing populations of wild animals and the endangerment of species such as amphibians. Can the biochemical effects of pesticides upset entire ecosystems?'

Canada.com, Aug 16, 2013: Morton [...] pulled up a net of about 100 herring near Sointula and found they were all bleeding. “It was pretty shocking to see,” said Morton [...] Herring school with small sockeye salmon and are also eaten by chinook and coho.

'Namibian government declared a state of emergency on May 17, 2013 due to prolonged dry season which resulted in widespread crop failure across the country. About 780,000 people (approximately one third of Namibia’s entire population) are now classified as food insecure...'

Rainfall fell by 58% comparing to last year, water reductions in Tehran, Iran

'Heatwave is scourging Iran bringing temperatures to alarming heights which, combined with the lack of rainfall, created drinking water shortages and reductions.Dr. Abbas Ranjbar, a faculty member of the Tehran-based meteorology research center said that the maximum temperature in Tehran reached 41 degrees Celsius last week, which is close to a sixty-year high of 42.6 degrees recorded on July 18, 1988. He added that rainfall in Tehran Province fell by 58% this spring comparing to the same periods last year...'

'While most of Germany endures exceptional heatwave, eyewitnesses from village of Wassel in Sehnte reported hailstones the size of tennis balls on Saturday, July 27, 2013. AP brings video with images of damaged houses and vehicles:'

'Heavy monsoon rains are causing more flooding in south east Asia. Myanmar officials reported on Wednesday, July 31, 2013, that severe flooding caused nearly 25 000 people to evacuate in Karen State, eastern Myanmar. Heavy rains and landslides are making flood-hit areas difficult to reach.Myanmar was badly hit in August 2012 when about 85 000 people were displaced by floods caused by unusually heavy monsoon rains...'

'August 20, 2013 – MANILA – Flooding caused by some of the Philippines’ heaviest rains on record submerged more than half the capital Tuesday, turning roads into rivers and trapping tens of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and disaster response for a second day. Officials reported at least seven people dead, 11 injured and four missing. The dead included a 5-year-old boy whose house was hit by a concrete wall that collapsed. His two adult relatives also were injured. Throughout the sprawling, low-lying capital region of 12 million people, floodwaters made most of the roads impassable and reached waist- or neck-deep along rivers and creeks. Authorities opened more than 200 evacuation centers in Manila and surrounding provinces filled with tens of thousands of people, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said. Overall, more than 600,000 people have been affected by the floods...'

U.S. grapples with rise in serious infections, as tick populations explode

'August 20, 2013 – NEW YORK – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 300,000 Americans are getting Lyme disease every year, and the toll is growing. “It confirms what we’ve thought for a long time: This is a large problem,” Dr. Paul Mead tells Shots. “The bottom line is that by defining how big the problem is we make it easier for everyone to figure out what kind of resources we have to use to address it.” Mead, who directs Lyme disease surveillance for the CDC, presented the new “preliminary” estimate at an international conference in Boston on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. The CDC says only a 10th of Lyme disease cases — fewer than 30,000 — are reported. And to make it more complicated, an unknown number of people are being diagnosed with Lyme disease who don’t really have it...'