Post No. 828 – Psychic Weather Report No. 0066

I have managed to get a PWR done this week. In the lead up to our eventual move, my partner’s other partner has also moved in here, with her cat and dog, and we have very little room, lots of noise and activity, and I have lost the sacred area I used to work in to do these. This is likely to continue for a month or two at least (to quite an extent, our lives have been on old for about two years while this search and then the wait was underway), and I may not be able to do the PWRs / news post from time to time – in which case, please use the default option I posted.

There is an introduction / reminder / explanation about these posts here (and also see here for some investigation into evidence of the effectiveness of this type of work, which shows variability [and mentions causes] and cycles in the energetic/consciousness response). I have a simplified blogiography of posts related to this work here, a list of themes I have identified here, and my changing the personality of oppressors and other world leaders post is here. It is also worth contemplating that one of the greatest weaknesses of those who oppose Balanced Positivity is the inherent pain, suffering and negativity of their aims and means – from the personal slights, insults and traumas left by the petty tyrant, autocrat, dictator/monarch or the ruthless (some at least are not; some are BPM) oligarch or politician, through the social dislocation of the economic ideologue to the long-lasting trauma, injury, death and desolation of society caused by those who use violence or war as a means to achieve power or impose their will. It may take time, but people WILL eventually realise what is not good, and will take action – which is why slavery is no longer ubiquitous, and why the march to freedom and democracy is underway – tentatively, and with backsliding and mistakes along the way, but inexorable nevertheless.

Now, as you read this, consider this: how does one outflank an idea, or attack an emotion in the rear? It is as well to consider what those who are unbalanced could do to good ideas and emotions, as well as considering BPM ways to outflank or ‘attack in the rear’ bad ideas/emotions.

Also, if you’re interest is healing, I have changed the way I do these posts to more clearly show opportunities for doing healing. Those interested in providing protection for others always have a place – refer to the first item from yesterday’s summation of world events (details and link below), for instance. Finally, a reminder that if none of this is of any interest to you, but you would still like to contribute energetically / psychically to making the world a better place, there are other options –for instance, see here, here, here, here, here (and here), here, here, and here – and, no doubt, many other places on the internet.

As a first point, it is also recommended that you read yesterday’s summation of world events. The key themes were:

(a)   there is one thing I will focus on in this: the start of a ceasefire in Syria – may it lead to a true, lasting and BPM peace – and swiftly, and may that peace spread;

This week’s assessment:

Overall, BPM energy (remember: this is balanced / balancing energy) is focused on Southern Africa, with ridges extending out to the rest of Africa and the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and also to South America. It’s a fairly focused pattern, with the rest of the globe being around mid-lelevls on BPM energy, except for the USA. NonBPM energy (remember: this is unbalanced / unbalancing energy) shows quite a scattered pattern: the sense I have is a combination of (a) trying to dilute any response, and (b) not putting any one area too much at risk. The numbers are highest in Southern Africa, and the usual hot spots of West Asia / the Middle East, Central and Northern Africa, and East and South East Asia. It is pleasing to see it low in Central and South America. The Pacific and Australia have high concentrations of unbalanced/unbalancing energy, but (i) Australia is relatively isolated, and its energy effects tend to take time to manifest, and the population is relatively small, and (ii) the mechanism for  causing these nonBPM energies in the Pacific to be high is probably climate change, which the developed world is responsible for causing and, with the developing world, managing. The contention between the forces of Balanced Positive-Spiritually Mature (BPM) and imbalance (nonBPM) is most significant in Southern Africa (which has the potential to be a beneficial influence on Central Africa), West Asia the Middle East (and surrounding regions, which it is influencing), East and South East Asia (where there is a real and significant risk of some conflict over China’s disputed and aggressive territorial claims), and, despite the low numbers, Europe (which can influence what is happening in the West Asia / the Middle east, and has a test for its soul underway with regard to refugees) and the USA (which can also influence what is happening in the rest of the world, and is also experiencing craziness in its presidential campaign).

My approach this week will be (incidentally, if you disagree, feel free to use your own interpretations, or your own divinations):

• at all times: focus on the helping the ceasefire in Syria to hold, and maybe grow into a true and lasting BPM peace;
• Sunday: the purpose of this day’s work is, mainly, to build a reserve of BPM energy to call upon during the coming week. In addition to the meditation / clearing work described below, I will also be working on making sure I, my crystals and my other tools / devices are as fully charged with BPM energy as I can make them (which is something I have posted about elsewhere, but may post more about in the near future):
   - clear nonBPM units from and send BPM energy to South America, the South Atlantic Ocean, Antarctica, the Indian Ocean and the Indian sub-continent;
• Monday - clear nonBPM units from and send BPM energy to West Asia  the Middle East;
• Tuesday - clear nonBPM units from and send BPM energy to Europe;
• Wednesday - clear nonBPM units from and send BPM energy to the USA;
• Thursday - clear nonBPM units from and send BPM energy to East and South East Asia;
• Friday - clear nonBPM units from and send BPM energy to Southern Africa;
• Saturday: this day will now be reserved for rest, recuperation and healing – of all those who are trying in a BPM way to make this planet a better place, not only of myself and those who are sharing this work. I ask that any and all healers who wish to contribute to this, take a few minutes to contribute to this on this day.

Important note: although I show the flow of energy using arrows, they are really - to continue the weather chart analogy - more like the passage of a frontal system as shown on a synoptic chart. 

Irrespective of this assessment, however, please join us in trying to make sure that the Shield of Hope area formed by (part or all of) the South Atlantic Ocean, Southern and Eastern Africa (including both sources of the Nile), the Indian sub-continent (including the Himalayas) and the Indian Ocean, shown outlined in gold on this week’s energy map, consistently has BPM energy at or above 7 by the time Neptune leaves Pisces, on around 30^th March, 2025 (a date which has an eclipse the day before). If you wish to do a little more coordinated action on a positive strategic front, I'm also planning on routinely sending BPM energy to Hong Kong, Tunisia, and Mexico, which show potential as "outposts of the BPM” and I wish to encourage their change for the better, and through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

[1] BPM = Balanced Positive (spiritually) Mature. See here and here for more on this.
[2] Please see here, here, here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

[3] I apologise for the formatting: it seems Blogger is no longer as WYSIWYG as it used to be, and there are a lot of unwanted changes to layout made upon publishing, so I often have to edit it immediately after publishing to get the format as close to what I want as possible.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr, Pagan Energy Worker, Wéofodthegn

(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga ... )

My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate-clear for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.

The real dividing line is not between Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.

Tom Fletcher, Former UK Ambassador to Lebanon

• If your “gut” (your instinct/intuition) is telling you something is wrong, but logic and the available evidence is saying otherwise, the proper conclusion to draw is that you need better, more personally credible evidence. Your “gut” could be wrong, right, or missing the nuances / “shades of grey” . So could the available evidence.
• All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Tags: activism, discrimination, divination, energy work, magick, meditation, nonviolence, peace,  psychic weather,  runes, society, violence, war, 

First published: Sunnudagr, 28^th February, 2016

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Sunday, 28^th February, 2016

Post No. 827 - a new auric sheath visualisation

One of the things which is often forgotten about when people are working on their aura, is the state of the auric sheath. This is a permeable outermost "barrier" on the aura: it feels to me more like the meniscus of water than our physical skin, in that it is an outcome of the aura interacting with the soup of energies we live in (on ALL levels of reality, incidentally) than being made of the energy equivalent of different cells that our physical skin is (skin cells are not the same as blood cells, muscles cells, nerve cells, organ cells, etc). The auric sheath. however, does serve some of the same functions as our physical skin - e.g., protection. Part of my routine healing work is checking for a repairing tears in the auric sheath, which is a bit like a nonphysical version of stitching up a cut in physical skin, and for much the same purpose - to aid in healing, and restore the protective function of the skin.

What I have also been doing, is building up the resilience of the skin, by packing layers of colours into it when I am doing my colour energy work. I also, as part of that work, protect my chakras with pyramids of light and sigils (e.g., pentacles, Algiz, etc), and use the light of the chakra to project the sigils onto the auric sheath. It sounds complicated, and it such initially, but it gets easier with practice, and by the time you;ve been doing it for a few years, it only takes a few minutes - depending on how many colours you use.

One of the sigils I am careful about using is Thorn / Thurisaz. Now, I love and glory in the wild power of Thorn / Thurisaz, as I have posted about previously, but I am aware that it doesn't interact well with all people and forces. Thus, although I'm happy to set up Algiz and leave it there, since it is "activated", in a sense, when people grab it by trying to break through my protection, it won't do any harm to people who are, for instance, just passing by. On the other hand, if I have Thurisaz pointing off into the Universe, there is a possibility, a very small possibility, that it might interact and intensify something in a way that is not good - for instance, make a willi willi (aka dust devil / mini-tornado) a little worse - perhaps enough to affect a car (as happened to me once in outback Queensland, and as I have helped someone work on fixing once in central Australia), or perhaps make an emotional storm worse. Thus, I tend to pair the Thorn / Thurisaz runes up, so they are pointing at each other along a perimeter, balancing each other and activated only when someone crosses their line - a bit like breaking a laser line (if the person is inimical to me, they would feel the rune as a growing sense of discomfort all round - or, at the very least, on each side - as they cross that barrier). As an example of this, if I ever get to building my idea for protecting a door, it would have a row of Thorn / Thurisaz runes around it, pointing in towards the space of the door. (One thing I would probably also have is a temporary "liner" of these runes that I could set up on the inside of the door facing out, which is to clear this influence for anyone who has a heart complaint.)

Another device I have used for decades is vortices (the plural of vortex) - min-tornadoes, if you prefer. They are particularly useful when setting up a protective pyramid - bring one in through the top, and use it like a vacuum cleaner for anything nonBPM - which is a visualisation that is useful in a lot of other situations as well.

What I have done now is:

strengthen the auric sheath, and make it thicker, by visualising two layers, each comprising:
 - a series of mini-tornadoes, from the widest part of the aura alternating going up to Spirit and down to Earth (and recycling their energy at top and bottom, so I have a loop of energy and don't have to keep feeding the tornado at it's point-of-origin), created with the intention of directing incompatible and nonBPM energy away (i.e., getting sucked up in a tornado);
 - each mini-tornado is about 1 cm (half an inch, for those of you who aren't metric - and if you want to complain about how half an inch is closer to 12mm, look up "about", "approximation", "pedantry" and "hiding discomfort with change under trivia");
 - a line of Thorn / Thurisaz runes on each side of the mini-tornadoes, to position and strengthen, and increase the protective strength;
with the layers offset so the Thorn / Thurisaz runes align with the mini-tornadoes, and thus energy coming in to my aura cannot avoid going through a layer of the mini-tornadoes.

This explanation needs a diagram: I'll have a go at doing that, but it may be when we finish moving, in a month or so.

[1] BPM = Balanced Positive (spiritually) Mature. See here and here for more on this.
[2] Please see here, here, here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

[3] I apologise for the formatting: it seems Blogger is no longer as WYSIWYG as it used to be, and there are a lot of unwanted changes to layout made upon publishing, so I often have to edit it immediately after publishing to get the format as close to what I want as possible.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr, Pagan Energy Worker, Wéofodthegn

(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga ... )

My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate-clear for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.

The real dividing line is not between Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.

Tom Fletcher, Former UK Ambassador to Lebanon

• If your “gut” (your instinct/intuition) is telling you something is wrong, but logic and the available evidence is saying otherwise, the proper conclusion to draw is that you need better, more personally credible evidence. Your “gut” could be wrong, right, or missing the nuances / “shades of grey” . So could the available evidence.
• All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...

Tags: about me, aura, auric sheath, auric tears, colour, energy work, protection, visualisation,

First published: Sunnudagr, 28^th February, 2016

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Monday, 28^th February, 2016

Post No. 826 – For Sunday evening’s meditation-clearing

For everyone’s convenience, I’ve shifted the reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing to this post. I have a simplified blogiography of posts related to this work here, a list of themes I have identified here, and my changing the personality of oppressors and other world leaders post is here. (Also, see here for some investigation into evidence of the effectiveness of this type of work, which shows variability [and mentions causes] and cycles in the energetic/consciousness response … and also here is interesting.) A range of information on emotions is here, and suggestions on how to work with emotions is here. This copy of a speech to one of the Parliament of World Religions also has excellent, helpful insights on generational transmission of harm, the cost of war, and ways to heal our hearts.

The purpose of posting these news links is not only to inform: it is also to stimulate a connection to nonBPM units that need to be cleared and BPM units that need to be strengthened. That only works if you don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by this, so take it in small chunks if you need to, but remember to actively clear and heal! … including yourself. Also, it is absolutely VITAL that this psychic / metaphysical / spiritual work be performed non-violently and as is for the Highest Spiritual Good – which is part of being BPM – on all levels and in all ways. Always remember (see here): Do you fight to change things, or to punish? See also here, here, here, here, here, and my comments about “authentic presence” in this post.

Also, in the same way that activists used to argue that “the personal is political”, the energies we use and manifest in our daily lives contribute to the larger soup of energies that influence world events. If you want to, for example, improve the communication of nations, improve yours. To help stop abuses of power, be always ethical in your conduct. Want peace? Then work in an informed, understanding, intelligent and nuanced way for peace in yourself and your life.

Finally, remember that many others are doing this type of work – for instance, the Lucis Trust's Triangles network (which has been running for many decades),   the Correllian Tradition's 'Spiritual War for Peace' (begun in 2014, and the website was recently updated to include many more activities), the Hope, Peace, Love and Prosperity Spell (also from the Correllian Tradition, in around 2007 or 2008),   the Healing Minute started by the late, great Harry Edwards (held at 10Am and 10PM local time each day, and one can pay to be officially registered. This also has been running for decades);   the “Network of Light”  meditations;   and   also see here and here – even commercial organisations are getting involved (for instance, see here). No doubt there are many others, so, if you don't like what I am suggesting here, but want to be of service, there are many other opportunities for you.

(Please note that I now specifically have a role for (absent) healers on Saturdays, as explained in the Psychic Weather Report posts. Anyone who wishes to be protector has a role every day :) , including – perhaps particularly - the first permanent issue I list below. At all times, on all levels and in ways, BOTH must ALWAYS be BPM in the way they perform such roles.)

Now, the themes – short, medium and long term - that come to mind for my work this week, after I review all this news, are (and no apologies if this repeats the themes of any previous weeks – in fact, given the size of this task, that is to be expected):

(a)   there is one thing I will focus on in this: the start of a ceasefire in Syria – may it lead to a true, lasting and BPM peace – and swiftly, and may that peace spread;

I also take this opportunity to repeat that it is absolutely VITAL that this psychic / metaphysical / spiritual work be performed non-violently and as is for the Highest Spiritual Good – which is part of being BPM – on all levels and in all ways. Always remember (see here): Do you fight to change things, or to punish? See also here, here, here, here, here, and my comments about “authentic presence” in this post.

News and other matters from this week include the following (opportunities/good news are shown in green; comments are shown in purple; WARNING: some of these links may contain triggers around issues such as violence, sexual assault, discrimination, etc).

• Permanent issue: may all actual and potential BPM [1] Leaders be kept BPM safe, including keeping them undetectable to the nonBPM and keeping all their Significant Others inviolable against being used for indirect  psychic attack, and may they have all the BPM opportunities and assistance (so-called “good luck”) for them to be BPM effective at influencing the world’s direction, development and unfoldment, all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
• Permanent issue: may all humans recognise, irrespective of the appearance of difference, the essential shared humanness of other people, the inherent resilience, the dynamic power, the strength of BPM collaboration, and the opportunities of having a diverse, inclusive and welcoming population, and may all people choose fairness, when such decisions are before them;
• Permanent issue: may all humans choose to live modestly – to forgo outdoing others, or trying to have more than they need - for the sake of an easier, more manageable life, if they cannot do it for the sake of the planet;
• With regard to democracy, freedom and governance (e.g., here and here):
     utterly appalling responses by Australian diplomats to reports of the atrocities being committed by Indonesian soldiers when they invaded East Timor a bit over three decades ago (if they’re still working, they should be sacked);   calls for impeachment of East Timor’s President;   the United Nations (UN) has been helping the Maldives government “talk to the opposition”;   the UN Secretary-General congratulated Presidential candidate, Touadéra, for his (provisional) victory, presidential candidate Dologuele for the spirit of statesmanship demonstrated in his concession speech, and called on all political leaders and national stakeholders to continue the constructive atmosphere and commitments to the electoral Code of Conduct and for the Transitional Authorities to complete the electoral process through the timely holding of the second round of legislative elections – see here for an assessment of the new President’s challenges;   Niger is going to the polls;   the Ivory Coast has extradited three suspected coup members back to Burkina Faso;   Bolivians have rejected changing the constitution so that current President Morales could have run for a fourth term;   concerns over the ongoing electoral success and responses to the inflammatory rants of Crazy Don;   a proposal by the Australian government to appoint an extreme right wing MP to head a key defence committee may end the bipartisan approach on defence;   the current President has won another “election” in Uganda, under  concerning  conditions (see also here, and here), although there were some promising results for the opposition candidate – who has been arrested again by Museveni, who has told observers not to tell him about irregularities;   a Kenyan Supreme Court judge has been suspended on a charge of bribery;   an assessment of the political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo);   the European Union has declined to send observers to the forthcoming presidential election;   the UN Secretary-General has visited a camp of internally displaced people in DR Congo, and said he was deeply moved by what he saw and heard, the number of displaced people has never been higher, and the international community needs to improve the way humanitarian assistance and development support are provided to ensure that no one is left behind - which will be one of the main objectives of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in May. He also met with rehabilitated child soldiers and with Dr. Denis Mukwege, to whom he paid tribute for his work in support of women victims of sexual violence, and then travelled to Kinshasa for the Great Lakes Private Sector Investment Conference (UN daily briefing);   eight youth activists have been arrested in conjunction with the recent strike;   Central African Republic presidential candidate Dologuele has said he will accept the results of the presidential runoff election despite what he called “massive fraud” in the latest ballot;   a critic has charged Egyptian President al-Sisi of leading a theocracy no different to the Muslim Brotherhood;   in a moment of lunacy (there’s no oil there … ), South African officials have accused the US of planning regime change;
• With regard to violent extremism (aka, terrorism - e.g., Da’esh) (and, incidentally, I consider ALL people advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism to actively be doing the work of violent extremists. This PARTICULARLY includes those cretins [including in the media, and Amnesty International] who use the acronym ISIS (see also here), which is actually the Greek name of the Egyptian Goddess Aset – and others (see also here) - and actively perpetuates the patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that terrorists are trying to accomplish in this world – which will be countered, in part, by the sort of approach advocated by “Cure Violence”, and, in part, by addressing real and perceived disempowerment and acknowledging the variety in what provides genuine, BPM fulfilment as a counter to fanaticism as a source of meaning. I also am inclined, personally, to include here the last two millennia of neochristian and colonialist social engineering, which has led to suppression of women, child abuse, the Crusades, the Inquisition, etc, as violent extremism, but that would take too much explaining.):
     terrorist attacks have occurred in Syria, Mali, may be being planned in south east Asia, Niger, prevention has or may have occurred in Morocco, Pakistan;   a Swedish girl held as a hostage has been rescued from terrorists by Kurdish special forces;
     Australia’s Foreign Minister informally complained after an “inappropriate” search at an international airport (what hope do ordinary travellers have? It does show that abuses of power can happen, though);   a “Border Force” officer has used someone’s phone to send text messages (on abuses of power);   the Torres Strait Islander flag keeps getting stolen by morons who think it is Arabic;
     the moral hazard of third party interventions, particularly in Iraq, and the need to be inclusive - the how of defeating terrorists is more important than the when;   the mismatch between military and diplomatic efforts against terrorism;   a review of claims that the Crusades led to modern terrorist organisations, and an article on their links to the notorious Sykes-Picot agreement;   an assessment of Da’esh which finds that it is NOT doing as well as claimed, and is, in fact, doing poorly;
     the USA is training West African nations how to respond to violent extremism;   Kenya’s police are boosting their efforts against terrorists;   French special forces are covertly active against terrorists in Libya;
• With regard to refugees:   a review of the place of emotion in debates over refugees (with a very good headline);   the latest Mixed Maritime Movements in South-East Asia report from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) states that maritime movements in South-East Asia - mostly Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea - are three times more deadly than in the Mediterranean last year. The first half of 2015 saw the highest-ever estimates of departures, while the second half of the year was much quieter than in previous years, which is attributed to the discovery of mass graves along the Thailand-Malaysia land border and government crackdowns on smuggling networks;   the UNHCR says it is concerned by recent restrictive practices adopted in a number of European countries that are placing additional undue hardships on refugees and asylum-seekers across Europe. It says that it appears some European countries are focusing on keeping refugees and migrants out more than on responsibly managing the flow and working on common solutions;   a foretaste of the problems refugees in Papua New Guinea will have;   the traumas of refugees in France;   some business people are now calling on Australia to do more for refugees;
• With regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime):
     following a USA court decision forcing a singer to work with the man alleged to have raped her, a campaign has begun calling for her release;   domestic violence in Morocco and the incompetence / ineptitude /head-in-the-sand attitudes there that facilitate that;   an Australian hardware store has moved to protect female employees from sexist tradies – as it needs to;   the problem of celebrity feminism;
     (trigger warning) a personal story of child abuse;
     a reflection on the benefits of gender and sexual fluidity – which, as someone who also grew up in the country, I can relate to, and family lobbying for changes to access to hormones for trans kids – which is a potentially lifesaving matter, if implemented, as Australia’s government considers following Tsar Putin’s kill-LGBT-kids approach and its masters use dirty (illegal?) tactics despite the overwhelming evidence (do those idiots with “concerns” understand that gender identity issues start as young as four? Apparently the cretin who got this so-called enquiry underway claimed that kids were being indoctrinated with “Marxist cultural relativism”. Think I need to add him to my changing the personality of oppressors post) despite schools showing their maturity on this issue;   the experiences of LBQ women in Kenya;   the NSW government has finally apologised for the violent abuses in the 1978 Mardi Gras;
     a defence of political correctness;
     violent suppression of protests is continuing in Ethiopia;
     Australia’s decline with regard to human rights; 
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:
     the need for Japan to stop weaselling out of true ad genuine apologies;   more gun-related violence in the USA;   recommendations for criminal laws around pool fences;   an excellent overview of the drug debate and the decade long process of reform;   protective services officers have made Melbourne's train passengers feel safer at night but it is unclear if the guards have cut crime, Victoria's auditor-general has found;   Nigerian sailors have rescued a hijacked oil tanker in a dramatic night-time rescue;   amateur sleuths are fighting overfishing;   a UK gang responsible for a long period of sexual abuse of young girls has been jailed;
• With regard to press aka the media, and freedom of expression (keeping in mind that claims of presenting “both sides” of a debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case on LGBTIQ issues):   a call for Malaysian universities to stop using disciplinary rules to silence student activists and restrict debate on matters of public interest;   a call for Bangladeshi authorities to immediately withdraw all criminal charges filed against the editors of the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, the country’s leading newspapers, and to repeal its criminal defamation and sedition laws, which violate international standards;   Oman is cracking down on online dissent;   a major Institute for War and Peace Reporting event has highlighted the importance of responsible reporting on religious radicalisation in Central Asia;
• With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict  minerals? I was recently pleasantly to find IT manufacturers now making at least some effort in this regard. Are you being duped by modern mantras?):   a new law has led to a catch up on vaccinations, as anti-vaxxers are blamed for an outbreak;   some farmers are working to reduce their pollution and increase their output;  a soft drink manufacturer is trying to shift debate on obesity away from diet towards exercise;   after 19 deaths since 2014, Mumbai has declared 16 “no selfie” zones;
• With regard to the conflict in Afghanistan (noting that Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here):   the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reminded all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan of their obligation to always respect the provision of healthcare, never to harm medical personnel and patients, and to ensure that the protected status of medical facilities is respected;   Russia has donated 10,000 automatic rifles to Afghanistan;
• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
     in Burundi, the UN Secretary-General met with President Pierre Nkurunziza. In a joint press encounter, the Secretary-General said that there is only one way to end the crisis in the country: through a credible and inclusive political process that is fully supported by the countries of the region, the continent and all Burundi’s partners. Subsequently, rivals are reported to have agreed to talks;   Human Rights Watch has documented increasing brutality in the government’s response to dissent;   recommendations for actions to help Burundi;
     replacement of (disgraced) DR Congo troops in the Central African Republic (CAR) with Mauritanian troops is continuing (UN daily briefing);   the Humanitarian Coordinator for the CAR has is concerned for the hundreds of displaced families in the country whose shelters have been destroyed in recent multiple fire incidents (UN daily briefing);   how the world failed the CAR;
     the UN Secretary-General has addressed the opening session of the Great Lakes Private Sector Investment Conference, and said that, for the region to reach its great potential, solving security issues will not be enough: root causes need to addressed, on the basis of good governance and the rule of law, and urged the Governments of the region to create an environment that ensures that business operations and investments are responsible and sustainable, and he asked development partners to build and enhance the productive capacities of Great Lakes states;
     lavish celebrations for Mugabe’s birthday despite the drought;, and the President has agreed to release 2,000 prisoners;  violence is continuing;
     at least 6,000 people have fled to Malawi since army operations began in October 2015, to disarm militias linked to Mozambique’s main opposition party, the Mozambique National Resistance, or RENAMO, and Mozambique’s government has been called on to urgently investigate alleged summary executions, sexual abuse, and ill-treatment by its armed forces in Tete province;
     the UN Secretary-General has met with the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and discussed issues related to cooperation with the UN Mission (MONUSCO) and the electoral process, and called on the President and political and civil society representatives he met throughout the day to engage in an inclusive dialogue. The UN Secretary-General also expressed concern regarding restrictions of freedom of press, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly;   23 child soldiers have been released in the DR Congo;
     Algeria and Morocco are Africa’s top weapons importers;
     Nigeria’s budget problems;
• With regard to China and East and South East Asia:   an article on the women only mosques of China (on a personal note, I have worked [briefly – only six weeks] in Kaifeng – lovely city, lovely people);   an assessment of China’s aggression (it is NOT just “assertiveness – look at the map in the article. China’s behaviour is the same as the old colonial powers) over the South China Seas and other areas, which finds that this is leading to regional push back, and that if the USA will not resort to legal appeals and sanctions, it needs to focus on boosting regional efforts and emphasising that incidents could lead to a military response China’s bullying and aggression is positioning it as the biggest threat to world peace and stability in the near future – and that is NOT good for China. None of the people in charge of this behaviour can be considered to have the welfare of the people of China in their minds, let alone their hearts. They are being profoundly immature and short sighted;   an assessment of Philippine-China relations, and how this may change after the next Philippine Presidential election;   the South China Sea dispute is putting Australia’s oil supply at risk, owing to the absence of adequate reserves;   Argentina’s new government is expected to allow Chinese projects there to continue;  China is going to start rating the characters of its people … ;   the US and China say they have made progress on a draft UN resolution to harden sanctions on North Korea, after its rocket launch and nuclear test;   an assessment of how to retake the initiative from China in the South China Sea;
• With regard to the Indian sub-continent, The Hindu and other sources have:
     an editorial on recent violence in Kashmir;   a call to be patriotic without being nationalistic;   an opinion piece on progressive nationalism;   an investigation has started into the demands of the upper caste Jat community in Haryana state, although violence is continuing, and another into rapes alleged top have been committed then – and at least water has been restored to Delhi;   a tribal rights activist is in hospital after an acid attack;   the US Ambassador to India has described “diversity and debates” as the “hallmark” of academic life in the United States and India;   an opinion piece expressing concern over the Modi government’s enforcement of its world view;   Amnesty International has included India among countries that have failed to match up to the international standard of freedom of expression and civil liberties, but praised the collective spirit of resistance in India, noting that growing intolerance had faced tough opposition from the people who contested the majoritarian attempts to curtail freedom;   an editorial on the attacks on tribal activists – including acid and sexual attacks, some by police;    the Delhi High Court has made orders for the safety during detention of university students charged with sedition;
     an editorial on poor air quality;
     Nepal’s Prime Minister has said that ties between India and Nepal should be based on the “principle of sovereign equality”;   an editorial on restoring good relations between Nepal and India;
     an opinion piece advocating continued engagement with Pakistan;
     an Indian delegation will visit Sri Lanka to discuss cooperation;
     the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party and the Adhaalath Party have said they will not take part in talks with the government until their leaders are released;
• With regard to the conflict in Iraq (noting that Iraq was once a peaceful and prosperous society, before the USA / CIA backed revolution – see here):   the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq has expressed deep concern for thousands of civilians who are trapped in Fallujah and in Sinjar district (UN daily briefing);   an assessment of recent conflict-related events in Iraq, including an appointment which may undermine Iranian proxy militias;
• With regard to the Libyan civil war:   Serbian hostages were reportedly killed in a recent US air strike – the USA has offered its condolences;   Tunisia is providing surveillance as part of its walls along its border with Libya, as the recent US air strikes are credited with being aimed at protecting Tunisia, as the Libyan army claims gains against terrorists – leading to hope for those able to return to Benghazi, although without a national unity government terrorist attacks are likely to continue;   allegations that intimidation and threats of violence prevented a key vote in support of the proposed unity government;   the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya has welcomed the statement signed by the majority members of the House of Representatives in which they approved the Government of National Accord (GNA) proposed by the Presidency Council, and called on them to take immediate steps to formalise this endorsement;   a report by the Office for High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has documented widespread violations and abuses in Libya since the beginning of 2014, and recommends urgent measures to fight against impunity and to strengthen and reform the justice sector;
• With regard to the Russia (see also Syria):   an assessment that the West needs to stand up to Russia;   a campaign in Russia is building on resentment against the USA and its President as threats to Russian culture and “world peace”;
• With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:   the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that, despite the multiple requests for access to affected areas in Central Darfur state, the UN has been unable to verify reports of significant new displacement of civilians there, following an escalation of fighting in the Jebel Marra area since mid-January, as access continues to be denied;   the famine in South Sudan;   the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has called for an end to intercommunal fighting in Pibor, in Jonglei State, which fighting is continuing,(UN daily briefing) and has led to around 1,000 refugees;   Saudi Arabia has given Sudan $5 billion in military aid;   the UN has apologised for failing to protect civilians;   the UN Secretary-General has met with South Sudan’s President, and told the President that South Sudan’s leaders must finally work together, and stressed the urgency of forming a Transitional Government of National Unity;   an assessment of the failures in the quest for peace in South Sudan;
• with regard to the conflict in Syria:   doubts about the value of the coming ceasefire, as civilians continue to face “rampant, pervasive and ever-present” war crimes;   changing alliances;   aid delivery is underway (UN daily briefing);   the experiences of Syrians in Aleppo and fleeing across the Turkish border;   Russia claims it is talking to rebels;   the UN has done its first air drop of aid to a besieged city;   Syria is a failure of commitment, not principle;   an assessment predicts that, over the next 90 days, Russia will maintain its (aka, the Assad government’s) gains in Syria, although more ground personnel will be needed from both Russia and Iran;   the ceasefire has officially begun;
• with regard to Turkey:   tensions are growing between Turkey and the USA over Syrian Kurds, who are one of the most effective rebel forces;   9 “PKK militants” have been killed by the Turkish air force in south eastern Turkey;
• With regard to West Asia / the Middle East, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
     the violence is continuing in Israel and Palestine – see, for instance, here, _;   two Palestinians who have each lost a leg are helping each other;   activists who are campaigning for an “Israeli apartheid week” have irked Israel;   the Israeli army is pushing back against – religious - expectations of “kill first”;   some Palestinians and Israelis are cooperating to improve potato growing;   a Palestinian designed housing development has, after years of Israeli delays, opened;   the United Kingdom has said that Israeli encirclement of Jerusalem with settlements is “shocking”;   Israel has demolished a Bedouin school as part of its campaign to evict them;   Israeli human rights groups have documented abuse of Palestinians during “interrogation” amounting to torture;
     claims of brutal torture in the United Arab Emirates;
     Saudi Arabia is trying 32 men accused of spying for Iran;
     oil exporting Gulf nations have been urged to introduce taxation;
     a call for greater decentralisation in the Arab world;
     an article on the young voters of Iran, who see the imminent election as an opportunity for change;
     an assessment of the possibility that Pakistan may ally itself more with Saudi Arabia to balance Iran;
• With regard to the war in Yemen:   the United Arab Emirates may have withdrawn it troops out of the Saudi-led coalition;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:   a cyclone has caused massive devastation in Fiji, and at least 20 deaths;   a call to use Australian indigenous fire management techniques as part of bushfire prevention;   the Zika outbreak is continuing;   tornadoes have hit the southern USA;   although it has learned in recent decades, Ethiopia is facing a repeat of its famine history;
• With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and the occasional nice story:
     a breastfeeding mother had a nice encounter with orangutans at Melbourne Zoo;
     United Nations peacekeeping is “a tool to advance political, not military, solutions to conflict”, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson has told the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations;   the importance of Australia’s proposed 2016 “white paper” “getting it right” on non-violent defence diplomacy;   a call for the last Nuclear Security Summit (aimed at preventing terrorists getting nuclear materials) to lead to renewed commitment and better actions;   a call for international help for Venezuela before it experiences disaster;

Also from the Daily Briefings of the United Nations (UN) (and other sources):

• the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has stressed the importance of community-based forestry in promoting sustainable forest management, reducing poverty and generating jobs and income for rural communities;

and from a range of other sites:

• recent changes in Papua New Guinea;
• a boarding academy has opened for young (teenaged) indigenous mothers and their children. Although I am not indigenous, my birth mother gave birth to me at 16, and had to give me up for adoption; she then struggled and got herself through uni much later. Something like this would possibly have helped her, and could help all young mothers (I think I heard of something similar for non-indigenous mothers a few years ago, but nothing lately);
• Cuba has eased restrictions on dissidents;
• Australia’s Border Force is now looking for stun guns to arm its people with … ;

Regular sources include the Daily Briefings of the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, “War on the Rocks”, the Early Warning Project blog, the Justice in Conflict blog, the Political Violence at a Glance blog, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, the International Crisis Group, the Middle East Eye, The Hindu, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the BBC, Spiegel International, The Conversation, John Menadue’s blog, Wikipedia’s current events portal, Wendell Williams’ blog, George Monbiot’s website, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, the “Cure Violence” blog, the Inter Press Service Agency (IPS), and others.

No signature block this week owing to the length of the post.)