Posts

Showing posts from January 25, 2015

Alibaba Loses $30 Billion as Political Connections Turn Sour.

Image
Alibaba's chairman Jack Ma, on Nov. 19, 2014, at the opening ceremony of the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, China. Jack Ma's company Alibaba lost $20 billion in market cap on Thursday after getting into a spat with a Chinese regulator, as the company's once helpful political ties begin to trip it up. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images) Alibaba , the Chinese e-commerce conglomerate that made the biggest IPO in U.S. history last September, had over $30 billion wiped from its market capitalization in two days ending yesterday. That was just after it got into a rare public brawl with a Chinese regulator, an apparent signal that its political fortunes have shifted decisively under the Xi Jinping administration. The hit to Alibaba’s share price corresponded with some worse-than-expected earnings, but a dispute between a major Chinese company and the regime itself is rare indeed in

Over the Past 5 Months More Than 100 US Children Have Become Mysteriously Paralyzed.

Image
(Shutterstock*) The universe is full of mysteries that challenge our current knowledge. In "Beyond Science" Epoch Times collects stories about these strange phenomena to stimulate the imagination and open up previously undreamed of possibilities. Are they true? You decide. Researchers have a leading suspect in mind for what may have caused the paralysis of more than 100 children in the United States since August 2014—but definitive evidence eludes them. In a study published Jan. 28 in the medical journal The Lancet, researchers described evidence linking the paralysis to enterovirus D68 (EV-D68). EV-D68 had already been a suspect because in a previous study, the virus was found in nasal swabs from 8 out of 41 paralysis patients tested, according to Nature . The new study focused on a group of children who experienced this paralysis in Denver, Col. In this smaller group, the link appeared strong. Na

Moghalu’s ‘Emerging Africa’, A Superb Gift To Africa.

Image
I confess I have had difficulty reviewing in the amazing African spirit in which it is written, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu’s new book, “Emerging Africa”, subtitled “How the Global Economy’s ‘Last Frontier’ Can Prosper and Matter”. I confess I have had difficulty reviewing in the amazing African spirit in which it is written, Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu’s new book, “ Emerging Africa ”, subtitled “How the Global Economy’s ‘Last Frontier’ Can Prosper and Matter”.   Sonala  Olumhense  Syndicated Dr. Moghalu’s effort is, without any doubt, recommended reading for anyone who is concerned about the place and fate of Africa in the world, and for those Africans who are involved in the business of trying to move their countries forward.

How Silencing China’s Dissidents Led to Stealing the West’s Secrets

Image
A young woman holds a poster during a rally in Washington on July 17, 2014, of Chinese man who was tortured to death for practicing Falun Gong inside China. (Edward Dai/Epoch Times) China’s state-run cyberattacks have been described as a war without bullets, with the Chinese regime stealing U.S. wealth, innovation, and military might. As government and industry are scrambling to find means to respond to the incessant barrage of attacks, the story about how this assault began remains little known. “It [that story] doesn’t make what they’re doing any nicer, but it indicates more the frame of mind this came out of, which I think is important,” said Ethan Gutmann, author of the recently released book The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China’s Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem, in a phone interview. The Chinese regime’s first known cyberattacks

Presidential Rally: APC Shakes Lagos, Supporters Defy Rain.

Image
Tens of thousands of supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, took Lagos by storm as they defied the early morning shower on Friday to give a rousing welcome and support to the presidential candidate of the party, General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. The carnival-like scene was enacted as the party’s presidential campaign train hit Lagos, one of the major strongholds of APC.Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, venue of the rally, witnessed an unprecedented crowd of party faithful from all walks of life.

Boko Haram militants conduct more deadly raids in Nigeria

Image
Boko Haram,Terrorist Group.  (CNN) Boko Haram militants have killed scores of people in raids on dozens of villages in northeast Nigeria's Adamawa state, forcing thousands to flee into mountains and across the border into Cameroon, a lawmaker said. For two weeks, Boko Haram gunmen have sacked dozens of villages in Michika district, close to the border with Cameroon, slaughtering male residents and abducting others. "They move house to house, killing people, including the old, abducting women and children and burning homes," ‎Adamu Kamale, a lawmaker representing Michika district in the Adamawa state House of Assembly, said Tuesday. Villages are littered with bodies, and there is one to bury them because residents have fled to escape the onslaught, Kamale said. "They slaughter people like animals," he said. boko haram ‎"Now, 70% of the people in the district have been dislodged from the homes. Some of them have run into the mo

5 suspected jihadi cell members arrested in France.

Image
Story highlights Five men aged from 26 to 44 are arrested in a police raid in Lunel, southern France France's interior minister says the arrests deal a "new blow" to terrorism Paris (CNN) Five men were arrested in southern France Tuesday on suspicion of belonging to a jihadist cell which was recruiting young French people, authorities said. Speaking at a news conference in Paris, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said "a new blow has been dealt to terrorism" with the arrests in the Herault region. Police units carried out an early morning raid in in the small town of Lunel overseen by the anti-terror branch of the Paris prosecutor's office. France's immigrants impacted by terror fight 03:11 Five men aged between 26 and 44 were arrested and remain in police custody. Law enforcement agenst also conducted several searches.

5 Processed Foods to Give Up.

Image
We’re closing in once again on another new year. And in the food world, there are a number of unhealthy foods that make our stomachs turn. If eating better is a goal for 2015, consider letting these processed foods stay in 2014. 1. Flavored yogurts: Gaze through this report from the Cornucopia Institute and you’ll think twice about that strawberry yogurt. Flavored yogurts are high in sugars, artificial sweeteners , colors and flavors among other unsavory ingredients. Make your own or stick to plain, organic yogurts. Want strawberries? Add them yourself.

How to Find Peace When the World Around You is Nuts.

Image
Remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy is swept up into a tornado, sucked into the destruction that was going on around her? Sometimes that’s life for you--no matter how hard you try to stay balanced, the world around you seems like nothing short of chaos. But when you do manage to stay above the fray, you’ll reap the rewards. It’s well worth the extra effort to set yourself apart and find peace even when the world around you is running like a chicken with its head cut off. Find a Closet and Shut the Door It sounds strange, but sometimes you need to physically separate yourself from the world in an effort to stay mindful. Wake up before the rest of your family every morning, find a quiet place like an extra closet, and try some meditation.

In China, Bank Robberies Are Committed by the Bankers.

Image
A worker of a bank counts money as she serves a customer in Shanghai on Sept. 24, 2014. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images) Banking scams, fake banks, naked robbery of hundreds of millions of yuan—all are dismissed by the Chinese regime’s banking authorities as “isolated incidents.” Victims don’t believe that, and across multiple provinces the state banking fraud has victimized individuals and corporations alike. According to reports by the China Banking Regulatory Commission and local police, account holders in many provinces including Zhejiang and Anhui in the east, Henan in central China, and Hunan in the south-central part of the country, have mysteriously lost savings kept in China’s state-run banks.

Nigeria Lawyer Sues Buhari, APC, INEC Over Certificate Declaration.

By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center. An Abuja based Nigerian lawyer, Barrister Friday Ojealaro has sued the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) over his refusal to declare his certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the February 14 Presidential general election. In a suit with no. FHC/ABJ/CS/03/2015, made available to NAIJA CENTER NEWS, Ojealaro pray the court to disqualify Buhari from contesting in the forthcoming election if he refused to show his certificate. Others defendants in the case are All Progressives Congress, and INEC. Barr. Ojealaro who is also the National Coordinator of a political group, Jonathan Shall Lead Again, pray the court to order Buhari to clarify his academic qualifications and eligibility. According to the suit, In the event, Buhari failed to satisfactorily present statutorily prescribed educational qualifications to INEC, the APC candidate, by the order of The Federal Hi

7 Hand Gestures That Make You Look Like a Real Intellectual.

Image
The Dialectic. "This is a dialectic and I’m going to explain it." - Use when expressing a shift from one thing to another. Highly infectious. Jasmine Johnson and Alice May William You’ve definitely seen it at some point. Maybe it was in a lecture in college. Maybe it was in a TED talk you watched recently. Someone is trying to explain some important historical connection, drawing up a grand theory of art or science or human progress, and there it is, as if by reflex: the hand lifts in front of them like an upturned claw, the fingers slowly turning an invisible dial. That’s “The Dialectic,” one of the hand gestures you’ll need to master to become a genuine thought leader. Alice May Williams and Jasmine Johnson observed “the full complement” of these gestures in the process of earning their MFA at Goldsmiths College in London. In an effort to bring them out of the rarified world of aca

The 25 Biggest Turning Points in Earth's History.

Image
Our planet has existed for 4.5 billion years, and it has been a busy few eons. Here are the 25 biggest milestones in Earth's history. From leaps forward in evolution to devastating asteroid impacts, these were the turning points that shaped our world. 4.5b years ago Earth is born The 25 Biggest Turning Points in Earth's History Birth of a planet Earth grew from a cloud of dust and rocks surrounding the young Sun. Earth formed when some of these rocks collided. Eventually they were massive enough to attract other rocks with the force of gravity, and vacuumed up all the nearby junk, becoming the Earth. The Moon probably formed soon after, when a planet-sized chunk of rock smashed into the Earth and threw up a huge cloud of debris. This condensed into the Moon. 4-3.5b years ago The origin of life The 25 Biggest Turning Points in Earth's History First organisms Nobody knows exactly when life began.

'Drone' found in White House grounds by Secret Service agents.

Image
A White House spokesman said the device posed no threat. A small drone has been recovered by Secret Service staff from the grounds of the White House, US media report. A spokesman for President Barack Obama confirmed that a "device" had been discovered but said it posed no immediate danger. Mr Obama and the First Lady are currently on a visit to India.

Islamic State 'driven out of Kobane'

Image
Islamic State 'driven out of Kobane' Islamic State militants completely expelled from Syrian border town of Kobane, activists and Kurdish fighters say This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. bcc.