Pakistan: Christian Accused of Blasphemy and Placed in Solitary Confinement Now Gravely Ill

By Jibran Khan – “Lahore (AsiaNews) – Asia Bibi is sick, in solitary confinement, and there are growing concerns for her life. The Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy on false evidence is sick with chicken pox, because of the appallingly unhygienic conditions she is being kept in. The complaint comes from Haroon Barket Masih, president of the Masih Foundation, who today issued a statement: ‘Asia Bibi was diagnosed with chicken pox, she has been kept in solitary confinement for more than three months. We have expressed concern about her health, because she spends 24 hours a day locked in the cell. She needs medical care, hygienic and healthy conditions. She fell ill with chickenpox because of the dirty environment, and being unable to clean her room or bed sheets on which she sleeps. Despite her ill health she spends her time fasting and praying for everyone …” Read more.

‘Disease Clusters’ – Gulf Coast Illnesses One Year after the BP Oil Spill

By Gina Solomon – “Last week I was in Washington to testify in front of a Senate committee about disease clusters – when a community is affected with strangely high rates of a certain disease over time. I was there to urge the Federal government not to overlook these communities, and to do the needed investigations to identify potential environmental causes. From doing this work I know that for every disease cluster studied, there are dozens that feel ignored. I fear that is what’s happening in the Gulf Coast, one year after the BP Gulf oil spill.

Local community advocates tell me that their phones are ringing off the hook with calls from people who are sick and looking for help. Ecosystem restoration meetings on the Gulf coast have been overwhelmed by people testifying about health symptoms because it’s the only place they can be heard. Clean-up workers and community members are worried about an increase in unexplained symptoms such as rashes, chronic respiratory problems, fatigue, and headaches.”  Read more.

 

Unprecedented Cosmic Blast Puzzles Astronomers

SPACE.com – “A huge, powerful star explosion detonated in deep space last week — an ultra-bright conflagaration that has astronomers scratching their heads over exactly how it happened.

The explosion may be the death cry of a star as it was ripped apart by a black hole, scientists said. High-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from the March 28 blast’s location, about 3.8 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco.

Astronomers say they’ve never witnessed an explosion so bright, long-lasting and variable before, according to NASA officials.” Read more.

 

General: U.S. May Consider Troops in Libya

“(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON – The United States may consider sending troops into Libya with a possible international ground force that could aid the rebels, according to the general who led the military mission until NATO took over.

Army Gen. Carter Ham also told lawmakers Thursday that added American participation would not be ideal, and ground troops could erode the international coalition and make it more difficult to get Arab support for operations in Libya.

Ham said the operation was largely stalemated now and was more likely to remain that way since America has transferred control to NATO.”  Read more.

 

New Secret Nuclear Site Discovered in Iran

“WASHINGTON – An exiled Iranian opposition group says its spies have found a major parts factory for Iran’s uranium enrichment machines, a critical part of Tehran’s secretive nuclear program.

The Mujahedeen-e Khalq said Thursday that over the past 4 1/2 years Iran’s Defence Ministry has secretly used a factory west of Tehran to produce parts for tens of thousands of enrichment centrifuges. These machines can make low-enriched uranium fuel for nuclear power plants or highly-enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.”  Read more.

Largest U.S. Severe Weather Outbreak in Over a Decade This Week

“A powerful spring-time low pressure system marched through the southeast Monday afternoon and evening causing widespread severe weather. By Monday late afternoon a line of powerful thunderstorms stretched from Ohio all the way down to Texas packing high winds, large hail, and even tornadoes.

There have been over 1,300 severe weather reports into the Storms Prediction Center in Norman, OK from Monday’s outbreak. The image above is a map of Monday’s storm reports from the Storms Prediction Center. That is the most severe weather reports since the year 2000 in one 24 hour period. A majority of the reports, over a thousand, were for severe straight line winds.”  Read more.

 

Coverup? California, Northwest, BC Canada Under Radiation as High as Japan

By Alfred Lambremont Webre – “Independent scientist Leuren Moret, MA, PhD (ABT) has stated in exclusive April 4, 2011 interviews with reporter Alfred Lambremont Webre that the effects of the tectonic nuclear war against the populations and breadbaskets of North America (Canada, United States, Hawaii, and Mexico) are being intentionally covered up by the administrations of Barack Obama in the United States and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Canada.

The radiation effect of this false flag global radiation war intensified this week as radiation maps produced by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) now confirm that the Midwest of the United States, all of California, theNorthwest including the states of Oregon and Washington and the western part of Canada are under a radiation threat with radiation levels as high as that in Japan…” Read more.

 

Mortar Shells Fired from Gaza at Israel, Anti-Tank Missile Strikes Schoolbus

By Anshel Pfeffer, Yanir Yagna and Haaretz Service – “Two people were wounded Thursday after an anti-tank missile exploded into a bus traveling in one of the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip.

Following the attack, 16 additional mortar shells were fired at Israeli towns in the western Negev, most of them hitting open areas.

Magen David Adom crew who arrived at the scene said that a 16-year-old boy was critically wounded as a result of the attack, and that the bus driver was moderately hurt by shrapnel wounds in his leg.” Read more.

 

Christian in Saudi Arabia Faces Death Penalty for Sharing His Faith

“An Eritrean Christian is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia after being arrested for sharing his faith with Muslims.

Mussie Eyob was detained by the authorities at a mosque in Saudi’s second largest city, Jeddah, on 12 February. He had gone there to meet and talk with local Muslims after speaking about Christianity at the Eritrean Embassy for three days. Eyob was arrested for preaching to Muslims, an offence that carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.”  Read more.

Earth Finds New, Unusual Giant Asteroid Companion

“Earth has found a new companion that has joined its orbit around the sun, scientists have revealed.

It may not have the most romantic of names, but Asteroid 2010 SO16 could pursue Earth for anywhere between the next 120,000 to a million years.

And at a few hundred metres across, it is the largest space rock ever discovered so close to earth.

But there is something unusual about SO16, say Apostolos Christou and David Asher who discovered the giant floating rock last September at the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland.”  Read more.

 

Superbug Gene Rife in Delhi Water Supply

By Sarah Boseley – “A gene that causes a wide range of bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics has been found in the water supply in Delhi, with worrying implications for the rest of the globe.

International travel and medical tourism have already brought the gene, known as NDM-1, to the UK. A team of scientists reported last year that they had found NDM-1 positive bacteria in a small number of patients who had visited India for kidney or bone marrow transplants, dialysis, pregnancy care or burns treatment, while others had undergone cosmetic surgery.”  Read more.

 

Superbugs Threaten to Render Antibiotics Useless, Warns WHO

By Richard Alleyne – “The overuse and misuse of antibiotics, which is leading to “unprecedented levels” of resistance, and a lack of development of new drugs means we could see current treatments become useless.

Already 25,000 people die each year from superbugs in Europe and there are a number of bacteria which are now resistant to all drugs.

That figure will increase to ever greater numbers unless new more powerful antibiotics are developed and we stop overusing antibiotics.”  Read more.