Post No. 1,115 – Gnwmythr’s News Ed. No. 196

Information and Summary/Analysis:

Note: I am NOT a journalist, and make NO claims to objectivity or freedom from bias. Furthermore, I do not hold copyright to any of the articles I link to, nor do I claim authorship, except for those links to material I have written for this and my related blogs, and my commentary in these posts. (I try to make sure quotes are shown using quotation marks.)
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,
   so that you can do the clearing / strengthening that is required.

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.
As part of that, note that there are key uncooperatives to be cleared (rescued): you should ONLY address those that are within your ability – if you get a sense (e.g., through meditation) or are told by your BPM Guides/Higher Self to back off, do so, and content yourself with clearing the smaller nonBPM units within your capability – which will weaken those uncooperatives. More importantly, there are many people doing this sort of work, and others are quite likely to be able to clear the uncooperatives concerned.
That is also one of the many reasons it is OK to take a break or cut back this work if you need – in fact, doing so will help you deal with the next point, which is …
… the energies we use and manifest in our daily lives contribute to the larger soup of energies that influence world events, so it pays to address those as well, to the extent that one can, or to at least stop oneself projecting them into the psychic soup.
The reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing are here;   see also here,   here,   here,   (here and also here and here are interesting),   here, here,   here,   and   this post reminds us to be patient and persistent, like a “speeding oak”.
There are some notes at the end of this post about other options for those who do not like this way of working.
Finally, one of the biggest concerns I have about spirituality in the world now is that the concept of agape type love has been perverted into both a quest for emotional warm fuzzies, and an excuse to avoid doing the hard work of improving oneself and all that one does. On that, it may help to consider the simplification that one cannot love perfectly until one has learned how to perfect. (And one of the concerns I have about those resisting change is that they are so shallow / superficial /stupid that they thing their actions have ONLY the meaning of their [limited] conscious intention … ) See also here and here.

The themes that come to mind for my work this week, after I review all this news, are:

(a)   based on my interpretation of information here and here with Saturn in Sagittarius contributing to finding an authentic balance (until 20^th December, 2017), Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until some date in the Year 2018), and Pluto in Capricorn contributing to a transformation of power and business (and careers) (until some date in the Year 2024), conditions are ripe for a change for the better in world politics;

(b)   there is an enormous need to clear nonBPM energy – the thought forms, unattached energy and scars of the collective unconscious created by millennia of violence, including spirit rescue, and healing the warped views, seemingly “inherent” biases, and other damage created. Also, remember:   -   (1) the counter to fear is genuine  EQ and clear thinking, expressed through calm, de-escalating speech,   -   (2) where problems exist, advocating for BPM responses, and being as BPM as one can be, are constructive solutions,   -   (3) peace is powerful, but it is a process requiring patient, persistent and nuanced nurturing, and a blend of conventional spiritual work, clearing nonBPM units, and physical world activism;

(c)   viewing the overall emotional state of the world from an elemental point of view, this week we need:
           emotionally (astrally),the sense of security of more BPM Earth;
           mentally, the discipline, ethics and objectivity of more BPM Æther;
           a plot of the elemental influences on a causal/spiritual level follows, and shows a need for the discipline, ethics and objectivity of more BPM Æther;

(d)   I’ve created a bindrune for this week’s work, which is:

(e)   dealing with the 45^th President of the USA requires:
           1. eroding (i.e., slow, patient and persistent clearing of the little bits one can SAFELY cope with – remember, you are but one of many) the nonBPM influences feeding his arrogance and mind-set, and strengthening the USA’s CEO’s BPM Guides and giving them whatever BPM help they need to present a BPM alternative to promote a change of heart,
           2. lifting the nonBPM influences from the shoulders of the USA’s CEO’s marginal supporters, allowing them to “come to their senses”, which may result in them feeling bewilderment/shame, and simultaneously strengthening the BPM influences around them (e.g., their BPM Guides) to counter them backsliding,
           3. physical world activism (especially education) – e.g., this. As well as doing what one can there, help those who are doing this work (e.g., sending them “positive vibes”) and look for nonBPM blockages that can be cleared (e.g., setting up a BPM vortex above meetings to draw away external nonBPM influences/energies/units, so that the audience can listen as they are, without any obsession/possession);

(f)   the major events this week are:   -   as attraction to violence continues to be inadequately addressed, the risks of mass atrocities in Yemen, Afghanistan and South Sudan, and ongoing violent conflicts and crises in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan (Darfur and South Kordofan), Yemen, Egypt (Sinai), Kurdistan, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Mali, Burma, DR Congo, Burundi, Kashmir, Baluchistan (Pakistan and Iran), India (Maoist and other insurgencies), the Maghreb (Africa), Ukraine, and elsewhere;   -   refugee and humanitarian crises;   -   the political madness of regimes with authoritarian leaders;   -   and   signs of hope on the Korean peninsula;   further unravelling of the USA’s 45^th President’s administration;

(g)   all actions taken in pursuance of social status are evil: I’m aware of all the evidence that this is an evolved human characteristic, but we need to exercise our human characteristics of reason, self discipline and improvement to overcome that flaw, and the viciousness and destructiveness that go with it;

(h)   at least one despot is feeling secure enough to be open to talking, if not behaving decently: may all autocrats come to an acceptance of mutual security, and freedom from the personal insecurity underlying their fear of difference;

(i)   may all people continue whatever goodwill and generosity they have experienced recently, and channel it into acceptance and inclusivity;

(j)   may all employers come to realise that they best utilise their workers skills by being respectful, inclusive, and paying well;

(k)   may all obstacles to the world learning of suppression, intolerance and hate be removed, and the world given the loving detachment to respond with compassion, inclusivity, and objective assessments of relative genuine needs;

(l)   may all key nonBPM units sabotage themselves and self-destruct in BPM ways that have no BPM collateral damage;

(m)   may all working to make this world a better place have the calm, slow persistence to outlast all that is thrown against them – may their strength of endurance be greater than the strength of will of those who hate.

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 past week follows:

   news items are presented in the following sections (there is overlap, and items may appear more than once):
    - Permanent and Thematically Arranged News,

    - Location Based News,

    - (from a range of) Other Sites;

   opportunities/good news are shown in green;

   comments are shown in purple; and

   WARNING: some of these links may contain triggers around issues such as violence, sexual assault, discrimination, etc.

Permanent Issues and Thematically Arranged News:

• Permanent issue: may all actual and potential BPM 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 resources (including an assured income, given the power that nonBPM forces have in the structures of the material world), opportunities and assistance (including 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 actual and potential BPM Violence Interrupters (and Interrupters of hate / fear / anger) of be kept BPM safe, and may they have all the BPM opportunities and assistance (so-called “good luck”) for them to be BPM effective at containing and stopping – along the lines of the Cure Violence model - the spread of violence (and hate / fear / anger), all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
• 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;
• Permanent issue: may all humans be in better communication with the better parts of their nature – especially those who need that more than other, better people;
• Matters warranting particular attention:
     this week on reversing the deliberate, well-funded, long-term strategy (from about the 70s) to make self-interest seem normal and a commitment to fairness (such as former US President Franklin D Roosevelt’s Four  Freedoms) an aberration:   the entirety of this blog and all other spiritual work and physical activism I and others do;   may all journalists and BPM workers commit to upholding the highest ethics, and always being the example;   may the awareness shown this week of attempts by some nations to manipulate the UN continue;
     on the Rohingya crisis this week:
     -   there is a shortage of diphtheria antitoxin;   Malaysia will investigate a possible cover-up of mass Rohingya graves;
     on the North Korean nuclear tensions this week:
     -   as one sanctions busting ship is seized, Russia is revealed to have also been ignoring oil sanctions;   North Korea has said it is “open to dialogue” with South Korea, and has re-opened a border communication channel … and the offer of talks has been accepted;   more here and hereon the suggestion that China provides nuclear deterrence for North Korea;
     on the fallout from the USA’s recognition of (all?) Jerusalem as Israel’s capital:
     -   Israel has made returning East Jerusalem to Palestine procedurally more difficult;   Palestinians have refused to be blackmailed by the USA;   the USA cutting aid to Palestinians may lead to a violent blow up in the region;
     on other matters requiring particular attention:
     -   protests that are (largely) against living difficulties (often being described as “anti-government”, but I’m not sure they are that focused) are continuing in Iran, with more than a dozen deaths – including at least one police officer, social media being blocked, counter protests, and wild accusations of foreign influence (although there has been a call for the West to support the protestors … and admiration for those who were silent because of lack of knowledge) before claims that the protests had all been suppressed … followed by offers of help from the army to suppress the protests … – see also here, and this, this, this, this, and this analysis;
     -   the UN Secretary-General has called for “unity among the global community to tackle overwhelming challenges and defend values shared by all”;
     -   the nuanced situation of Muslims in the USA;
     -   the experiences and contributions of a recently passed trans scientist;
     -   even watching nature on TV is beneficial;
     -   a US city will examine the biases in algorithms;
     this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists Yemen, Afghanistan and South Sudan;
• With regard to democracy (which can be measured [as can goodness], and requires  protection of minorities and the vulnerable – and remember Gandhi’s question about whether one is fighting to change things, or to punish, and note this list of 198 methods of nonviolent action), freedom, governance (e.g., here, here, here and here, and see also here) and ethics:
  Note: I have a section specifically for the 45^th US President below
     analyses this week include:
     -   thoughts on moving from inequality to equality;
     of concern this week:
     -   “facebook is declining to say why it appears to be picking and choosing political leaders to censor”;
     -   other concerning events have occurred or are developing in: Kenya, Saudi Arabia;
     in the grey/mixed [good and bad aspects] or neutral area this week:
     -   a call to ban all world leaders from twitter … ;   the US FBI has renewed its investigation of the Clinton Foundation;
     good news this week includes:
     -   the US city of San Francisco is actively supporting public protest;
     -   other good news has occurred: Hong Kong;
     and democracy/governance/political matters in my home nation this week:
     -   Australia’s neoliberal prime racist has played the race fear-and-hate card (backed up by the idiotic Home Affairs Minister making blatantly wrong claims) – see also this fact check on this “racialised moral panic”, but also this call for community leaders to give a sense of belonging, and call for action by a member of community at the centre of the claims, this evidence of the racism it has caused, a call for calm and this assessment … and, after all that, this crime spree … and “politicians' cheap fear mongering [is] not helping Victoria tackle East African crime problem” – see also here;   pandering to businesses and other policy failings behind increased energy prices;  staggering revelations that bureaucrats undermined policy decisions in the 90s;   the Greens will oppose proposed electoral funding changes over concerns that it targets minor parties and an activist group;   concerns that proposed changes to the welfare system will target Australia’s most disadvantaged people;   a warning that the lack of oil reserves means Australia could only defend itself for 19 days;   despite the Australian economy growing 2.8%, wages growth was below inflation, and household incomes effectively dropped 1.6%;   Australia’s so-called “border protection” policies cost $4 billion last year … (not to mention the appalling cost in human suffering);   PNG perspectives on Australia’s colonial history in PNG;
• With regard to the 45^th US President (who is dangerous – see here on actions for US residents [and the useful principles]) this week (I avoid using the 45^th US President’s name for psychic reasons, but also use either “the USA’s CEO” or “Voldemort II” as an alias):
     -   on the basis of a former advisor’s soon-to-be-released book, allegations, counter abuse (see also here, here [but remembering this!!! – see also here and here],here,  and here) and disputations on accuracy (it is significant that the author’s newspaper column with a major newspaper has been cancelled);   a US-focused update of Churchill’s 1938 statement “the lights are going out; but there is still time for those to whom freedom and parliamentary government mean something, to consult together”;
     -   the USA’s 45^th President has dissolved the contentious (alleged) voter fraud commission;
     -   a critique that argues that the US Congress has legal powers around impeachment, not political;   an “I told you so” on Voldemort II – with particular focus on the US Justice Department – see also here;   ongoing vacancies at the US Justice Department are causing concern;   a revelation that the initial tip-off leading to the investigation into (“alleged”) Russian influence came, not “from a former spy working for money from political rivals [but] from a close ally”;   a critique of Trumppence’s efforts on cybersecurity (the heading needs a comma after “that” in order to make sense);   an optimistic(?) assessment of the ability of the investigation into (“alleged”) Russian influence to keep going in 2018;   a court case and allegations of early knowledge of alleged Russian influence on the 2016 US Presidential election;   the White House tried to stop the Attorney-General recusing himself from the investigation into alleged Russian influence;
     -   “the US administration now considers the position of anti-Semitism monitor “crucial” and hopes to name one “soon” ”;   some US politicians and advocacy groups have criticised the proposed plan to curb H-1B visa extensions, which could “result in self-deportation of an estimated 500,000-750,000 Indian Americans, saying the move would drain the US of talent”;
     -   a critique of the document outlining the USA’s new approach to China;   an analysis of the “dangerous advocacy” for nuclear technology sales by a former White House official;
     -   Trumppence’s administration will reverse the harm minimisation legalisation (is it that, or decriminalisation?) of marijuana;
• With regard to violent extremism (VE) (aka, terrorism) (ALL people advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism are actively doing the work of violent extremists. This will be countered, in part, by “Cure Violence”, 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 don’t name groups to reduce their publicity):
     -   violent extremist attacks/acts have occurred this week in Egypt, Afghanistan, Egypt (2^nd), and, according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 7 attacks in Iraq, 7 attacks in Afghanistan, and 2 attacks in Syria (out of a total of 31);   violent extremist threats are or may be developing in Egypt/Palestine, Libya;   and actions (Note: there are many others that don’t reach the media I read) have occurred this week against violent extremists in: Nigeria, Somalia;
     -   a long expected counter violent extremism crack down could kill off regional airlines in my nation;
     -   an insider’s critique of “independent assurance” of intelligence;
• With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration) and people seeking asylum:
     -   refugee-related matters have also occurred in: Somalia;
• With regard to human (and other) rights and discrimination (incidentally, I consider it vital to identify people who are bigots, as they clearly have flaws of observation and thinking – shown by the fact that NOT all people choose to discriminate unless they have been educated otherwise):
     on homophobia/transphobia (including heteronormativity and cisgender-normativity) this week (and noting that trans kids are the same as cis kids of the trans kids’ true gender):
     -   Trumppence will not appeal court decisions allowing trans people into the US military;   homophobia in Spain,
     -   other homophobic/transphobic (and heteronormativity / cisgender-normativity) matters have also occurred in: Tunisia, Bangladesh;
     on white supremacist and other forms of racism and indigenous matters generally this week:
     -   “the outgoing Aboriginal children’s commissioner in [my home state] opposes hard limits on the number of Indigenous children being removed from families, saying it could put lives at risk”;   racist backlash against a US sports player;   indigenous Australian seasons;  more racism in the USA - racial profiling of a homeowner in his own driveway;
     -   other white supremacy / racism problems have also occurred in: Australia, Israel, Colombia (good news);
     on sexism this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone):
     -   an arrest over sexual assaults at a music festival;   “Hollywood women [have launched a] campaign to fight sexual harassment” – including a fund for women in poor er jobs;   the US judiciary will evaluate its sexual harassment policies;   measures for the safety of women at new year events in Germany;   more allegations of discrimination against a major tech company;   rental laws are locking women in violent situations;   continuing sexual harassment at a car festival in Australia’s capital;   a call for an institution which has been included in the national heritage list to be made a “site of conscience” over the abuse that occurred there;
     -   on sexual harassment/misconduct this week - more accusations/resignations and commentary (note: these are not convictions): here;
     -   other sexism matters have also occurred in: Iceland (good news), India, India;
     on religious rights this week:
     -   a Pagan float led a Christmas parade in a US “Bible belt” town;
     on workers’, children’s, privacy, and other forms of human (and other – e.g., animal) rights this week:
     -   charges after teenagers committed animal abuse;   the UK’s National Health Service has reached its 70^th anniversary;   my home state has officially recognised the sentience of animals;   a call for modern slavery laws to decriminalise sex work;    in the USA, consumer and privacy groups have demanded “action on toys that spy on children”;
     -   also on slavery / human trafficking this week: Hong Kong (court victory for abused Indonesian worker), USA, India, Italy, India (2^nd) (good news), India (3^rd);
     -   other workers’, children’s, privacy, differently abled, animal, and other forms of human or other rights matters have also occurred in: Iraq, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, UK, France (good news), India (good news);
     -   opportunities to take action here;
• With regard to war, violence and hate generally:
     -   the US Army has adapted a computer-based simulator it uses to “train everyone from teachers to first responders on how to react” to a gun armed murderer;   ten conflicts and ten humanitarian crises that are likely to be of ongoing concern in 2018;   a boxer who has campaigned against violence - including the so-called “coward’s punch” has shown he does not understand the difference between a just society and vengeance;
     -   other war, violence or hate related matters have occurred or are developing in: Iraq;
• With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally (including survival after death, and good religion), development (in an “end poverty/thirst/hunger” sense) and the occasional nice story (and to get people to constructively remedy: fear of being single / asexual / off-grid or a rebel / innovator / non-conformist / true to yourself, belief in management  fads and fashions, distracting themself aka filling their time, and accept extraterrestrial UFOs):
     good news from 2017;   community growing and sharing of food;   a critique of religion from the point of view of power vs. force;  interesting thoughts on success and meaning;   five communities that are leading the way;   the acceptance  speeches by ICAN (see also here) for the Nobel Peace  Prize;   the ethics of praying for others;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
     -   floods have killed 37 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo;   a truck has derailed a South African train, killing at least 18 people and injuring hundreds;   the cold snap over North America is killing sharks in the ocean and stupefying iguanas - and will worsen, having already killed 18 people;   one dead and 7 missing after avalanches in Kashmir;   fatal accidents in the US Imperial Possession of Costa Rico and also Indonesia, Australia;   a storm in New Zealand has caused damage and evacuations, and left one person dead;   the start of a heatwave in south east Australia has already melted part of a highway;   more people drown in Australia’s rivers than coasts;
• With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (such as conflict  minerals, environmental harm and child labour in smart phone , FOMO (which can be overcome) and addiction or unthinking pro-technology bias, second thoughts, social media making people miserable or envious, being duped by modern mantras and  management  fads,  “failing” at being well, AI ethics, corporate misuse of mindfulness as a distraction from working conditions, embedded emissions, plane pollution, bigger, flashier homes/cars– which means actively abusing the environment and society’s cohesion and contributing to financialisation, the need for agroforestry, the accursed “new is always good” groupthink of the computer world, abuse of workers by insisting on busy-ness, raising Prince Boofheads):
     on climate change and other environmental matters this week:
     -   lessons on helping vulnerable people adapt to climate change;   a call to prepare early for La Niña and El Niño events;   a rebuttal of claims that migratory animals spread disease;   an invasive and destructive seastar has been rediscovered in my home state;   the Pacific has nowhere to hide from climate change;   a foldable electric “car”;   challenges – and some progress – in the struggle to stop agriculture and forestry contributing to climate change;   five key climate change court cases;   Australia’s first  electric plane;   coral bleaching is “the new normal”;   “ocean dead zones with zero oxygen have quadrupled in size since 1950”;   the USA plans to expand offshore drilling;   a US state wants to buy out people in land becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding, but can’t afford to do so;   EPA has approved a rare earths mine in Central Australia as it considers, after a two year assessment, the radioactivity risk is manageable;
     -   other environmental matters have occurred in: China (good news), Kenya, Norway (good news), China (2^nd) (good news), Central America, Vanuatu (good news), Nepal, Bangladesh, Brazil (good news), Bolivia, Africa;
     on technology and science matters this week:
     -   one to two percent of drivers are using their mobile phones – and a reminder of the potentially deadly consequences, as the AMA says it is not unfairly targeting young drivers when it calls for strict penalties;   a call for “autonomous emergency braking technology to be made mandatory in all new cars immediately”;   “the former insiders at tech giants who now loudly worry about what their innovations are doing to us”;   a US recommendation to remotely identify and track UAVs (drones);   Tasmanian cherry producers are using “technology and social media to combat low-grade fakes being sold in Asian markets”;
     -   other technology and science matters have occurred in: France, Colombia (good news);
     on economic and financial matters this week:
     -   the bias of reference checks;   some places may never recover from the GFC;   the USA has caused the latest meeting of the WTO to fail;   criticism of the USA for persisting with unsuccessful worker retraining policies;
     on affordable, sustainable and decent housing and homelessness matters this week:
     -   the problems of apartment booms (problems not mentioned include the loss of privacy and personal [safe] green space, as well having to put up with bigotry);   another warning on the unsuitability of modern homes in hot weather;   after a festival, abandoned camping equipment is being reclaimed for the homeless;   rental laws are locking women in violent situations;
     -   other affordable housing and homelessness matters have occurred in: UK;
     on health and medical this week:
     -   seniors playgrounds;   new – not widely available – advances against cancer that use the body’s own immune system;   “alcohol can cause irreversible genetic damage to the body’s reserve of stem cells”;   an attention seeking creep has breached guidelines on suicide (as well as any human decency), but this is symptomatic of idiotic abuses of the principle of awareness raising”;   after being on the receiving side of medical treatment, a doctor has vowed to improve patient consideration (these stories keep cropping up – why? Can’t doctors – or, perhaps, their teachers at University – learn how to relate to human beings? Do they need lessons from nurses – and, perhaps, to let nurses do nursing);   “a cognitive behavioural therapy program for young people whose main reason for drinking is to cope with anxiety, shyness and nervousness”;
     on other matters in the category this week:
     -   new year fireworks injuries;   consternation in a US state over self serve petrol – some of which I can understand, given similar concerns when we did that a couple of decades ago (note to petrol industry: improve your education on new measures), but some of it is ludicrous (run-ins with “transients”???);
• With regard to press aka the media, and freedom of expression (claims of presenting “both sides” of a debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case on LGBTIQ issues. Also, media can be unprofessional, but funding is an issue … ):
     -   a database of press freedom incidents in the USA has started;
     -   other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in: Burma;
• With regard to education:
     -   a call to move education from outcome to content (or perhaps a dynamic point of balance between the two extremes, drawing on the best of each and adapting to suit each individual student?);
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:
     -   a major drug bust in West Asia;   a repeat thug has been arrested for setting someone else up with a false call to police that resulted in a death;   an inmate in a prison in my home state has been murdered;   an ambush in the USA has killed one police officer, and wounded four others and two civilians;   a call for police in one US city to stop being violent and engage with community;   a teenage idiot who had a bad reaction to taking illegal drugs had to be tasered;   a staggering bungle led to the wrong man being arrested and forcibly injected with anti-anxiety medication;
    -    other crime, judicial and policing matters have occurred in: Brazil, Kenya, USA.

Location based News:

• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
     on Africa generally:
     -   the growing crime of rhino poaching;   Chad has warned that the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea is a major threat to central Africa – and the border closure between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon is harming business;
     -   fifteen people have died in a Cameroon gold mine collapse;
     -   Ethiopia claims it will release political prisoners and close a torture centre … which was subsequently claimed to be a “misquote” … ;
     -   an introduced drought-resistant plant in Kenya has been found to be a dangerous weed;   calls for Kenyan security forces to exercise restraint;
     -   700 hundred captives have escaped from violent extremists in Nigeria – see also this;   at least seven people have been killed in new violence;
     -   concern that Somalia has destroyed housing for displaced people;
     -   an analysis of what economic recovery in Zimbabwe will require;
     on Sudan and South  Sudan:
     -   Sudan has extended its ceasefire with rebels;   relations between Egypt and Sudan are deteriorating;
• With regard to South and Central America:
     -   “Central America [has weakened its] forest shield against future droughts”;
     -   a Russian spy ship may help Argentina find its recently lost submarine;
     -   human interventions destroyed a Bolivian lake;
     -   a prison riot in Brazil has left nine dead and scores of prisoners on the loose;   concerns that censorship is making a resurgence in Brazil;   Brazil is rethinking a “mega-dam” project;
     -   Mexican concerns over the renegotiation of NAFTA;
     -   a smartphone game has been developed “to educate Colombian children about their [nation’s] endangered indigenous cultures”;
• With regard to China (may her growing middle class bring a love of peace and freedom), East and South East Asia and the Pacific (noting the risks of atrocities in North Korea and Burma):
     on China, Hong Kong, the DPRK (North Korea) and South Korea (which need to accept their partition – for now – and sign a peace treaty), Taiwan, and the free but invaded and occupied nation of Tibet:
     -   China is looking to build on its economic growth by increasing its diplomatic influence;   China’s ban on the ivory trade has come into effect;   claims that local governments can regulate the power usage of bitcoin miners;
     -   other events concerning China have occurred or are developing in: USA;
     -   revelations from a defector over North Korea’s fund raising;
     -   the USA and South Korea will NOT hold military drills during the winter olympics in North Korea;
     -   China has been warned not to interfere further in Hong Kong’s democracy;   an abused Indonesian domestic worker has won a court case against her Hong Kong “employer”;
     elsewhere in Asia:
     -   Burma has released two journalists who had been arrested for using drones to film;
     -   an Australian charged with being a spy for flying a drone in Cambodia (when are people going to get the message about local laws?) has appeared in court;
     -   Japan considers the North Korean risk the worst since World War Part Two (which, I note, Japan caused, and has prevaricated over taking full responsibility for – including Korean sex slaves … );
     and in the Pacific:
     -   a (much needed) women-only bus service in PNG;   the Pacific has nowhere to hide from climate change;   Vanuatu has banned nonbiodegradeable plastic;   yet more calls for proper recognition of PNG’s fuzzy wuzzy angels”;   the appalling misconceptions and brutal violence around “sorcery” in PNG;   PNG perspectives on Australia’s colonial history in PNG;
• With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU) (which need to step up, as the USA steps down):
     -   a storm has caused deaths, damage and devastation in Europe;
     -   France has announced plans for a new law to combat fake news;   France has ordered one social media platform to stop sharing data with another social media platform;
     -   dispute over interpretation of data showing some refugees associated with crime in Germany;   the son of the German tennis star Boris Becker will press charges against a far-right MP who called him a “little half-negro”;
     -   “laws requiring businesses to prove they are paying men and women equally have come into force in Iceland”;
     -   abuse of Sikh workers in Italy;
     -   anger over the Netherlands collecting tax from the forced labour pension of a Holocaust survivor;
     -   over half of Norway’s new cars are electric or hybrid and on Norway, after reading this story, which pointed out that “it's colder in Angel's Landing, Utah, than in Hell, Norway” (and “it's colder in Jacksonville, Fla., than it is in Juneau, Alaska”), I looked up Hell, Norway, and found that it does exist, and it does freeze over … see this photo as evidence (actually, it looks like a nice place to live … );
     -   the regional parliament in Spain’s Catalonia province will sit, but without its former leader;
     -   security concerns – including fake news – in Sweden’
     -   a UK council leader wants homeless people removed before the royal wedding … fortunately, this has been rejected by the PM;   the UK may end “the inclusion of international students in immigration figures and targets”;
• With regard to the (forgotten or ignored and underreported) conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:
     -   a critique of the situation in Ukraine;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
     on India:
     -   repeat human traffickers in India face a possible life sentence;   an anonymous let box enabled school students to identify traffickers;   attempts by Dalits to celebrate the bicentennial of a British victory they fought in (on the British side) have led to violent protests - see also this enlightening article;   revelations of the abusive conditions faced by homeworkers;   India has stupidly lied that FGM does not exist;   the problem of shame murders;   a women’s’ co-operative bank for sex workers has closed;   criticism of an Indian state for its apathy in response to acid attacks;   India’s economic growth has been slowed by agriculture and manufacturing;   India’s courts are considering whether “the pre-Independence provision of adultery in the Indian Penal Code treats a married woman as a commodity owned by her husband and violates the constitutional concepts of gender equality and sensitivity” – see also this opinion, based on the right to sexual privacy;   a transport strike;   the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has “emerged as the leader in the country in terms of Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education”;   “after four decades, India [has] a Kashmiri film”;   a call for “women in media [to] aggressively challenge the various norms that we men have established”;   the Indian Supreme Court “has struck a blow for the rights of the disabled, with a direction to the Central and State governments to provide full access to public facilities, such as buildings and transport, within stipulated deadlines”;  the Indian government “is in regular contact with Pakistan, but any meaningful dialogue would depend on an end to terrorism and cross-border violence”;   a UK Sikh group has accused Indian authorities of “interfering in Sikh institutions and affairs and proposed a “worldwide ban” on Indian government officials … visiting” Sikh facilities, which India says is a sign of fear of growing closeness;   a call for India’s Prime Minister to “break his silence on attacks on Dalits 'under his watch'” by an MP who has rejected claims he is inciting violence;   calls to help migrants and senior citizens with increased awareness of welfare;
     on Pakistan:
     -   more attacks on Pakistan from the USA over support for violent extremism, but Pakistan is planning to take over charities run by an Islamist designated by the USA as a violent extremist;   the USA has followed up on threats to suspend aid over security concerns, to Pakistan’s anger (see also this defence),but India’s support;
     elsewhere in South Asia:
     -   climate refugees in Bangladesh;
     -   climate change is threatening livelihoods in Nepal;
• With regard to West Asia (aka “the Middle East”) and Northern Africa, the Middle East Eye, the Times of Israel, and other sources have:
     on Israel and Palestine:
     -   the corruption probe into Israel’s Prime Minister could unseat him;   a vicious response to a singer cancelling a concert in Israel – see also this explainer;   a Palestinian girl who slapped an Israeli soldier has been charged with assault;   hundreds have protested against electricity cuts and worsening economic conditions in Gaza;   the USA is “reviewing” aid to Palestine;   an opinion that war is more likely;   a feminist film made by an Arab Israeli is getting strong reactions;   consternation over the possible return of the death penalty (for violent extremists) in Israel;   concerns over changed courts for Palestinian land disputes;   the story of a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews from Lithuania during World War Part Two;   Israel is stepping up its racism – this time, against Africans;   Uganda has denied that it will take Africans deported from Israel;   after initial denial, a Kenyan Jewish leader will get a visa;
     -   other events concerning Israel and/or Palestine have occurred or are developing in: USA;
     on the (forgotten [or ignored] and underreported) conflict - and its consequences - in Yemen:
     -   another warning on the growing crisis in Yemen;
     on Syria (where the Assad Dictatorship has lost all pretence of legitimacy, and partition is needed):
     -   more mass graves have been found in areas of Syria formerly controlled by violent extremists;   rebels have destroyed several Russian planes;
     on Iraq (which was a peaceful and prosperous society before the UK / USA / CIA backed revolution – see here) and Kurdistan:
     -   reports by a respected and credible international human rights body that Yazidi armed forces committed revenge killings of 70 Arab men, women and children;
     -   and the Iraq Body Count project reports 76 people violently killed in the last week;
     on Libya:
     -   inadequate care for the wounded in Libya;   anger at the abduction of a human rights activist;   an opinion that elections in 2018 without fixing underlying problems would be too early;   fighting against violent extremists in Benghazi has killed more than ,000 soldiers (and how many civilians – and extremists, for that matter?);
     elsewhere in the region:
     -   an organisation is helping women in Arab nations get safe abortions;
     -   relations between Egypt and Sudan are deteriorating;
     -   (see the “particular attention” section on the protests in Iran);   a Turkish banker has been found guilty of helping Iran dodge sanctions;   the USA – which has sanctioned 5 Iranian missile-related companies - may withdraw from the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran;   Russia has accused the US of trying to use the UN to undermine Iranian sovereignty;
     -   concerns over Saudi Arabia’s abuse of anti-violent extremism laws against peaceful activists;
     -   Tunisia’s 1^st LGBT radio station is continuing despite threats;   the UAE has tried to interfere with Tunisia’s press;
     -   Turkey has fined a TV station over footage of young girls dancing in shorts in a talent competition after viewers complained of "child abuse" … (oh, for … Pete’s sake!) there was also outrage over Turkey’s religion agency saying marriage of nine year old girls was acceptable.

Other News:

• bush skills.

General Comments/Information

(Dear Reader, please remember, I expect you to think when reading this blog, and I reserve the right to occasionally sneak in something to test that)

Many others are very capably 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' (see also here, here, and here), 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 (running for decades);   the “CE 5  ET contact” movement started by Dr Steven M Greer, which is the one which appears to me to most capitalise on the teachings of “The Nine”,   the “Network of Light”  meditations;   the 1 Million Meditators movement,   and   also see here, here and here – even commercial organisations (for instance, see here), online groups (e.g. here and here – which I do not know the quality of) and even an app.    Thus, if you don't like what I am suggesting here, but want to be of service, there are many other opportunities for you – including secular opportunities: e.g., see here, here and here.

Again, activism in the physical world is also required - see here, here and here, here, and, of course, here.

(I 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 :). At all times, on all levels and in ways, BOTH must ALWAYS be BPM in the way they perform such roles.)

If I am ever late getting my Psychic Weather Report up any week, there is a default plan.

I apologise for publishing these posts twice, but Blogger keeps changing my formatting.

No signature block for these posts.