Post No. 1,236 – Gnwmythr’s News Ed. No. 239

For the sake of my health, until I retire or change to an easier day job , I have cut back these posts.

Information and Summary of News with Opinion / Advocacy / Analysis:

Notes:

(1) I am NOT a journalist, and make NO claims to objectivity or freedom from bias.
(2) 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 Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until March 2019), 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)   dealing with the 45^th “President” (i.e., CEO) 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 that person’s BPM Guides and giving those BPM Guides 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 that person’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);

(d)   the major events this week are:
       (i)   as attraction to violence continues to be inadequately addressed and the search for humans rights abusers continues, the risks of mass atrocities in   burma, Iraq and Somalia,
       (ii)   ongoing violent conflicts and crises in Syria, Afghanistan, Mexico, Iraq, Burma, Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Libya, Sudan (Darfur and South Kordofan), Yemen, Egypt (Sinai), Kurdistan, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Mali, DR Congo, Burundi, Kashmir, Baluchistan (Pakistan and Iran), India (Maoist and other insurgencies), the Maghreb (Africa), Ukraine, and elsewhere;
      (iii) refugee and humanitarian crises;   -   the political madness of regimes with authoritarian leaders – and all who put or keep them there;   -   and, specific to this week,     the terrible response to an overwhelming problem of pushing it away, even if that results in harm – including death or worse – to the people caught up in it;     as too many people continue (wrongly!) to think everyone is the same as them and even try to force that to happen (using laws, in some cases), some public figures have called for an end to the “win at all costs mentality”, others for a slower, healthier pace of life;     jumping to simple, comforting prejudices instead of comprehending the depths and nuance of a situation and its causative factors and influences, including the wide array of mixed motivations of human beings (which makes an effective or credible solution virtually impossible);     seven decades after the end of the Holocaust, we still have people imposing pain and degradation “because they are following orders” (and their superiors have the limited thinking just alluded to), as well as old hatreds;     the quest for power, prestige and adulation at ANY PRICE continues to plague the world;     breach of BPM duty has been evident this week;     duplicity, deceit, “speaking with a forked tongue”, or just simple lying also continue (at all levels of society);     the problems that occur when people are overworked are been shown;

(e)   may, even when we are overwhelmed or our survival is at risk, we NEVER lose sight of what is RIGHT (and may we work to ensure non-one's survival is ever at risk);

(f)   may we all always be in touch with our BPM conscience, show forbearance (i.e., “live and let live), resist non-BPM orders and influences, and fulfil our BPM duties;

(g)   there is a difference between so-called gentle “white lies”, aimed at easing one person’s pain (e.g. saying someone looks good for their confidence when their mood is down), and deceit: lying for gain or to harm others: may, with the exception of gentle “white lies”, people be BPM honest;

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 (if I have any this week);

   opportunities/good news (in my opinion) are shown in green;

   comments (by me) 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, may we all exercise our human characteristics of reason, self discipline and improvement to overcome the often evil flaw of seeking social status;
• 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 (see also here, here, and here) :     the entirety of this blog and all other spiritual work and physical activism I and many others do;     a former olympic champion turned banker says cricketers and bankers “need to stop ‘winning at all costs’ “ (applies to many others as well);     “why coasting at work is the best thing for your career, health and happiness”;     the appalling bigotry against childless people; (anyone who doesn’t understand or is “confused” or “upset” by such a decision is incompetent and unfit to have an opinion);
     on the Rohingya  genocide this week:
     -   in a continuation of decisions that are absolute lunacy, moves are progressing – without the support of aid agencies – to commit refoulement by sending Rohingya refugees back to burma . . . and the first forced returns have now happened . . . ;     “Amnesty International has withdrawn its most prestigious human rights prize from Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing the [burma] leader of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority”;     mental health first aid;     “the everyday discrimination girls face gets worse in a crisis”;
     on other matters requiring particular attention:
     -   sadly, this week, I found nothing in the news on Syria;
     -   the problems of strip searches – which are inherently abusive;
     -   as three perpetrators from a foiled attack are convicted, it is sadly not a surprise that the recent violent extremist attack in my home city (which may impact an upcoming election – e.g., this promise, especially as the perpetrator was on extended bail) has led to rising community tension, including unrealistic (and hypocritical, in light of moves by neochristian church to refuse to report confessions of child abuse) commentary from Commonwealth Ministers (the push to get around encryption remains a bad idea), Islamophobic responses (on that, a previous incident where several people was killed could equally be considered an act of neochristian violent extremism) on social media and talkback radio (notably one older caller I heard), apparently some forcefulness (aggression?) from an earlier Muslim caller, and some balanced and nuanced commentary from our police (making this particularly disappointing);
     -   “the rape case in El Salvador shows what happens when hatred of women is enshrined in law” – see also here;     an examination of cruelty in the world (the criticism of world leaders includes “An Orwellian facility for doublespeak enables leaders to pretend compassion yet maintain their cruelty”);     corporations are failing to meet UN (which itself has problems) human rights requirements;     religious bigotry in the mental health field;     more abuse of a female MP by a firefighters union has been condemned by other unions;
     -   the still present problem of anti-Semitism;
     -   Kenyan police let violent extremists across the border after they were bribed;
     -   France’s “President Emmanuel Macron . . . has warned of the dangers of nationalism at a gathering of world leaders marking the end of World War I 100 years ago, in a message seemingly directed towards [POTUS45]” – see here on lessons from that past conflict, here on POTUS45’s ridiculed aversion to rain and here and here on his schoolyard bullying to an ally’s criticism, and here on the ally’s reminder of that;
     -   China’s debt trap “diplomacy”;     China has thrown the media out of a meeting with Pacific leaders that they were invited to – which raises doubt over China’s claim to treat neighbours with respect;
     -   while South Korea demolishes one of its frontline guard posts on the border with North Korea, North Korea’s leader inspects a new weapon and “North Korea is maintaining more than a dozen missile launch sites, according to new research, in a further sign that the summit diplomacy pursued . . . has not led to any significant disarmament”;
     -   “Russian forces are suspected of jamming GPS equipment [putting civilian air traffic at risk] in northern Scandinavia during recent a NATO exercise”;
     -   the sister of a well-known technophile has commented that “social media has elevated misogyny to new levels of violence” - see also here, here, and here;     another article on the misappropriation of the classics by neo-nazis;     the problem of fake videos;     a “Chinese drone maker . . . left users at [a] high risk of spying and hacking under security flaw”;
     -   another reminder that “fat people can be fit too”;
     -   the story of “grotesque medical manipulation that today would have led to prosecutions for malpractice” which involved separating triplets at birth and following what happened to them - initially, it seemed nature was the main factor, but subsequently the powerful impact of nurture became obvious (this conclusion was apparently also backed up by other cases, and improved, recent studies into DNA);
     -   the problem of intrusive private investigators and insurance claims;
     -   to combat fake news, a call to “care before you share”, and remember that “you” – through ratings, and by clicks, likes and shares (comments aren’t read, they just count each comment as engagement) – control the media (I dispute the ignore if you hate it comment, however: if you hate it, do something constructive [e.g., contact MP] about it);
     -   after years of “denials” (i.e., lies), an accident has revealed that the USA has secretly charged a whistleblower;
       upcoming events (opportunities to do BPM clearing etc):   Germany’s Chancellor, who has been a stabilising influence, will leave politics,   peace talks on Libya,   the APEC conference
       this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists   burma, Iraq and Somalia;
• With regard to democracy (which can be measured [as can goodness],     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” (i.e., CEO)  below
     analyses, research and commentary this week include:
     -   “persistent engagement and tacit bargaining: a path toward constructing norms in cyberspace”;     a scathing rejection of a report that “suggested scrapping plans to raise compulsory super payments from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent, and raising the retirement age to 70” – and a questioning of the whole basis for superannuation;     examination of “symbolic deployments” and tripwire forces;
     of concern internationally this week:
     -   an opinion that “debt will be the cause of the next stock market jolt”;     increasingly totalitarian mainland China is complaining of “Cold War” mentality in other nations (if China really want to end others’ “Cold War” mentality, then China needs to stop behaving like a Cold War totalitarian regime);     an interesting interview with someone from an organisation taking legal action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles claiming “that immigration agents are targeting undocumented organisers for their activism” in one US state in a “multiyear campaign of political retaliation” (IF true, this shows the mental problems – i.e., bigotry – that too many authority figures have);
     of concern in my nation (Australia) this week:
     -   Australia's (deeply flawed) online health records system  - which has belatedly had some improvements finally made to it, and has had the “opt out” period extended - has “ ‘overlooked’ Australians without internet access, says a rural health worker”;     after claiming to be acting for those hit by drought, Australia’s neoliberal government has massively cut funding to a charity which includes drought affected families amongst those it feeds . . . and reversed the cuts in response to a massive community backlash;     “Iranian hackers are believed to be responsible for a cyber security breach and extortion attempt on Australia's biggest defence exporter”;     a critique of the varying responses by political parties to allegations of sexual assault – see also here;     “grants of almost $460,000 to fishing and cattle grazier groups in [northern Australia], using funds earmarked for addressing Indigenous disadvantage, even though the groups had not applied for them” . . . ;
     also of concern this week:
     -   other concerning events have occurred or are developing in:   Poland,   UK,   Chechnya,   Venezuela,   Venezuela,   CAR,   Kenya,   Gabon;
     on development (in an “end poverty/thirst/hunger” sense):
     -   evidence of the benefits of direct cash transfers;
     and democracy/governance/political matters in my home nation this week:
     on the Royal Commission into banks, and similar matters:
     -   the strengths and weaknesses of ASIC;     dispute over the extent of breaches of lending laws;     a bank boss has taken a $2.1 million pay cut . . . he now gets “only” $4.3 million . . . ;
     on other matters:
     -   my home state has released details of its recent agreement with China's “One Belt, One Road” project, with statements that it is not legally binding, despite its “commitments”, and was reviewed by the Commonwealth (some of this does concern me as a toe in the door on attitudes and criticism of authoritarian, totalitarian, communist China) - see also here;      poverty in my home state;     more scaremongering over power supplies ahead of summer;      another political candidate is out of the election campaign in my home state – se also here;     an election promise to introduce “high-quality evaluations of commonwealth government programs to ensure taxpayers stop funding initiatives that aren’t working”;     “in recent years it has been state governments – particularly [my home state] – that have innovated, particularly in social policy. The [current] government . . . has been the most progressive and active state government in a generation . . . here are five social policy areas at stake”;
• With regard to the USA and their schoolyard BULLYING, unpresidential 45^th “President” (“POTUS45”) (see here on actions for US residents [and the useful principles]) this week (the VP is at least as bad):
     -   there is increasing political pressure on the USA's Acting Attorney-General to “step aside from overseeing a special counsel probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election” (which he will testify before next year) as “he has expressed total hostility to the investigation” – see also here, and here;
     -   police shot and killed a black security guard who had detained a shooter;
     -   as “the US Senate blocks a resolution to halt weapons sales to Bahrain”, an interview with a US Democrat over the US House Republicans quashing “debate on a resolution that aims to end US military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, by sneaking a single line into an unrelated resolution about wolves” – leading to debate about the impact and need to end the attack on the port city of Hodeidah, responsibility, the involvement, and the US War Powers Act;
     -   an assessment of POTUS45’s new limitation on asylum seekers;
     -   in the USA, “the Democrat likely to lead the House intelligence committee next year said Congress would investigate whether [POTUS45] used “the instruments of state power to punish the press” in at least two alleged instances”;     a conservative news outlet known for often supporting POTUS45 will back a rival network who had a journalist barred from the US White House;
     -   one US state will recount votes;
• 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, and good old fashioned police work.     I don’t name groups to reduce their publicity):
     -   according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 4 attacks in Iraq, 14 attacks in Afghanistan,   and   3 attacks in Syria   (out of a total of 45);
     -   in addition:     violent extremist threats are or may be developing in   the Philippines;
     -   a review of the pros and cons of using drones against violent extremists (reasonably successful in Pakistan, doesn’t address the whole problem in Afghanistan, and care for civilians and increase transparency needed);     “what we get wrong when we talk about terrorism”;     “Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are among a slew of rights groups now calling for an independent review of the British government's controversial Prevent strategy.”;
     -   other violent extremist matters have also occurred in:   UK,   Kenya,   Somalia;
• With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration) and people seeking asylum:
     -   the caravan of asylum seekers is continuing to move north;     “international authorities, with the assistance of Australia, have 'disrupted' at least 10 alleged attempts to transport almost 300 asylum seekers to Australia by boat in the past 14 months”;
     -   other refugee-related matters have also occurred in:   USA,   Libya;
• With regard to other 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 [and there’s this]):
     -   “Formula One chiefs [traditionally reluctant to intervene on politics and human rights] have admitted for the first time that they are ‘concerned’ that an activist who protested against the Bahrain Grand Prix on Facebook was jailed for three years” and beaten and sexually abused - following criticism “of the race and the regime”;
     -   in addition to opportunities below on child abuse and human trafficking, general opportunities to take action on human rights here, here (for example), and, this week,   here,   here,   here,   here,   here;
     -   other human rights matters have also occurred in:   Chechnya;
     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):
     -   “many [LGBT people in my nation] still live with the ongoing grief of having had the dignity of their lives, and those of their children, up for debate” – and more remains to be done . . . ;     an excellent critique of a flawed history on the Equal Marriage campaign and plebiscite in Australia;
     -   other homophobic/transphobic (and heteronormativity / cisgender-normativity) matters have also occurred in:   Tanzania;
     on white supremacist and other forms of RACISM / CULTURAL DISCRIMINATION and Indigenous matters generally this week:
     -   another sporting code is being forced to confront racism in spectators;
     -   other white supremacy / racism problems have also occurred in:   USA;
     on TRAFFICKING, and CHILDREN’s and associated human rights this week:
     -   sanctions on Libya now include perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence;     articles on fake orphans here,   here,   ;     articles on fashion and slavery here,   here,   ;     calls to end slavery by changing the minds of slaveholders and targeting buyers;     technology is being used to fight sex slavery;     as Indian trafficking survivors are given training for work, trafficking survivors ask not to be treated like zoon animals;
     -   also on child abuse, including institutional, this week:   UK,   USA,   South Sudan,   South Sudan,   Australia,   Australia;
     -   also on slavery / human trafficking this week:   USA (good news),   burma/China,   India,   USA/Mauritania,   UK,   a tech company (good news),   UK,   UK (good news),   UK (good news);
     -   opportunities to take action this week;
     on SEXISM this week (keeping in mind the overblown influence given to testosterone, and the potential value to women of using anger):
     -   “am I a career woman or a primary caregiver? The answer is: I'm both, but very rarely do I feel that I am good enough in either of those roles”;     an article on the entertainment industry's “intimacy coordinators”;     “2017-18 data confirms that when Australian employers take action- the gender pay gap declines”;
     -   on sexual harassment/misconduct/violence this week, see:   here;
     -   other sexism matters have also occurred in:   Malaysia,   El Salvador,   burma,   Australia,   Ireland;
     on WORKERS’ rights this week:
     -   an article on a workplace death;     a food delivery company has lost an unfair dismissal case and been “ordered to pay former delivery rider $16,000” – which “may have wide-reaching consequences for . . . other businesses in the gig economy”;     the impact of wage theft;
     -   other workers’ rights matters have also occurred in:   Bangladesh;
     on ANIMALS’ rights this week:
     -   an animal cruelty case has reached sentencing after a guilty plea;     “a racehorse dies on an Australian track, on average, every three days”;
     on PRIVACY, AGED, DIFFERENTLY ABLED, AND OTHER forms of human (and other – e.g., ANIMAL) rights this week:
     -   another humiliation of a paraplegic by an airline has occurred;     inadequate aged care;
• With regard to war (noting that economic ties do NOT prevent war), violence and hate generally:
     -   “US doctors are sharing haunting pictures of the aftermath of gun violence on social media after the [US gun lobby] told medical experts to stay in their lane’ when it comes to firearms restrictions”;     another article on the gun lobby’s attempts to influence Australian laws;
• With regard to spirituality    and/or     psychism generally (including empathy, revolutionary love, survival after death, and good religion),     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 beneficent extraterrestrial UFOs):
     -   cyberbullying in Paganism;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
     -   fires in a US state have killed more than 60 people and left more than 600 people missing . . . – see also here, on saving pets and wildlife;     how emergency services are adapting to climate change;     40 passengers have been killed by a bus fire in Zimbabwe;
• With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues     (such as conflict  minerals,     environmental harm and child labour in smart phones,     FOMO [which can be overcome] and addiction or unthinking pro-technology bias,     second thoughts,     social media making people miserable or envious,     work and lifestyles causing depression,     being duped by modern mantras and  management  fads,     “failing” at being well or failing to consider life options,     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,     SELFISH bigotry in the form of trying to force everyone to have children to share the misery . . . ):
     on climate change (our World War III?) and other environmental matters this week:
     -   in shades of a theory about how dinosaurs died out, a northern Australian population of flatback turtle populations “could all be born female in less than 15 years if rising temperatures continue unabated”;     an invasive grass is intensifying fire risk in northern Australia;     a decades long marine degradation crisis in Canada;     an Australian scientist has been awarded a prestigious international prize (the “standing up for science prize”) for battling “political smears and public attempts to discredit his work in order to shine a light on the devastating effects of climate change on coral reefs”;     “mine rehabilitation laws expected to be passed by [an Australian state] parliament ... would allow coalminers to leave more than 200 voids . . . on the state’s landscape”;     “renewable energy has surpassed fossil fuels worldwide as the main source of new electricity generation”;     “the Climate Council has released a new report linking climate change with worsening droughts, including the current one, extreme weather events such as bushfires and floods, and identifying water security as a source of grave concern”;     “Australia's biggest oil and gas producer . . . is now calling for a carbon price”;     an informative call for an eco-positive lifestyle (i.e., environmental impact of having things and being mobile, etc);     how to overcome “apocalypse fatigue”;     “fires sparked by lightning [have destroyed] $3.6 million worth of crops in Western Australia's Wheatbelt”;
     -   other environmental matters have occurred in:   the UK,   emergency services,   the Pacific,   the DR Congo;
     on technology and science matters this week:
     -   more on privacy concerns of “devices”;
     on affordable, sustainable and decent housing and homelessness matters this week    (why are politicians with “investment properties” not admitting a conflict of interest and staying out of housing affordability debates?):
     -   a call for more social housing (including avoiding “overly complex private financing ‘innovations’ ”);     legal action by renters against and Australian state government over years of neglect has resulted, not in corrective action, but a counter suit which has revealed payments being “lost” and a complex, hard to understand system . . . ;     given that ”housing mobility” is actually a bad thing (in that it creates the idea that houses are a commodity, not a place to live), this argument for retaining stamp duty is flawed, in my opinion;     “a man and his company who claimed people could buy a house for $1 have been fined a record $18 million for misleading consumers”;
     on health and medical this week:
     -   an alternative to discharging homeless people from hospitals directly back to the streets;     “farmers have a vital role to play in stemming the spread of . . . antimicrobial resistance”;
     on other matters in the category this week:
     -   this TEDx talk on stress surprised me – I didn’t realise burn out was happening in young people (although I did know about the effects of stress, problems such FOMO, loss of work-life balance, etc – however, the fight or flight response options is outmoded: when female responses are included [the fight or flight was from lab studies on male rats], there are other responses such as network and nurture . . . also the suggested solutions were nothing new and a bit simplistic and victim-blaming – we need to change business [especially business propaganda and the entertainment world] and social expectations);
• 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 … ):
     -   fake news in Turkey;
     -   other media / freedom of expression matters have occurred in:   the Philippines,   Chechnya;
• With regard to education:
     -   information on where teachers are paid and/or respected the most and least;
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing     (noting that an uncle of mine resigned when corruption was not comprehensively cleaned out of the police force he served in, I also have high expectations of police [to match their powers],     and    consider all violence, abuse of power and failure to understand the impacts of their actions [e.g., see here and here] by police – who are under incredible pressure –is, nevertheless, undermining and weakening all police and what they are trying to achieve):
     -   a police officer in my home state has been found guilty of assaulting a female prisoner, and police in another state appear to have ignored a report of a fatal crash;     the woman who, allegedly out of spite, contaminated strawberries and injured several people, has been arrested, charged, and appeared in court, with bail being refused (I wonder if those people injured by her can take legal action against her? Perhaps victims of crime compensation? Can the businesses and the people who lost their jobs as a result of this also take legal action or get compensation?);     a new food contamination scare from a copycat (can the original also be charged with this?);     according to a Guardian Australia exclusive, in one Australian state “more than 40 . . . children are being held for undetermined periods in police custody because there is no room in the state’s youth detention system”;
    -      other crime, judicial and policing matters have occurred in:   Mexico,   USA,   Kenya.

Location based News:

• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) has:
      on Africa generally:
     -   for the sake of peace, Africa’s “Sahel States need international support ‘now more than ever’ ” – and climate resilience has a key role as well;
     -   Israel is moving closer to observer status at the African Union “to counter Palestine's influence at the continental body”;
     on specific African nations:
     -   war profiteering in the Central African Republic – see also here;     Russian-French tension is affecting peace prospects for the Central African Republic – see also this claim (eyes rolling) . . . ;
     -   the death toll from the current Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has passed 200 (fighting – possibly funded by violent extremists elsewhere - is stopping efforts to address the outbreak);     the “government must ‘secure’ polls in [a] key DR Congo vote due next month”;
     -   sanctions against Eritrea have been lifted as it mends it fences with Ethiopia;
     -   more violent extremist violence in Nigeria;
     -   long-suffering Somalia is enduring another major attack by violent extremists – who are raking in money from illegal businesses;
     -   “an economic crisis in Sudan [is] the result of 30 years of corruption and economic mismanagement”;
     -   “a homophobic call to action from a senior Tanzanian politician has ended up costing the country $13.7 million, after Denmark said it would cut aid funding over the comments”;
     -   the risk of a coup – including the link to elections of such a risk - in Zimbabwe;
     -   a court in Gabon has decided it has power to change that nation’s Constitution to address their President being in hospital . . . ;
• With regard to South and Central America:
     -   some former “Colombian rebels are now guiding rafts of tourists into the jungle”;
     -   fake rumours on social media led to two innocent men being burned to death in Mexico;
     -   a Chinese telecom company has helped Venezuela in develop a program (including a “fatherland card”) similar to China's controversial social credit system, leading to concerns of tighter “social control through monitoring all aspects of daily life”;     “a rising tide of murder in Venezuela’s mineral-rich south”;
• With regard to mainland China (may her growing middle class bring a love of peace and freedom),     East and South East Asia     and     the Pacific     (and noting the risks of atrocities in North Korea and burma):
     on increasingly totalitarian mainland China, and also 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:
     -   “at least 12 [ironically self-described as Marxist] labour activists[are] missing in China after suspected coordinated raids”;     China has made progress with nuclear fusion;     private hospital, pharmaceutical price, and hotel scandals in China;
     -   other events concerning China have occurred or are developing in:   Venezuela,   third world nations,   international relations,   my home state,   child slavery,   the Pacific;
     elsewhere in Asia:
     -   “the UN says [burma] is facing a ‘silent emergency’ with women harassed daily . . . The #MeToo movement hasn't taken off . . . largely due to language barriers . . . Sex education is rare in a country that does not even have a word for vagina” (that last point is hard to believe – if this is not a lack of understanding or a matter hidden by “manners”, it is shocking);
     -   15 people have been arrested for commercial surrogacy in Cambodia, which views this as a form of human trafficking (a view disputed by supporters . . . my view is that we need fewer children, owing to population pressure);
     -   Japan’s cyber security minister “ has provoked astonishment by admitting he has never used a computer in his professional life, and appearing confused by the concept of a USB drive. His comments were met with incredulity by opposition lawmakers”;     a US-owned hotel in Japan panicked over US sanctions against Cuba and denied the Cuban ambassador a room - in breach of Japanese laws;
     -   an article on female genital mutilation in Malaysia;
     -   the violent extremist threat in the southern Philippines “is mounting again”, with “estimates there could be between 40 to 100 foreign fighters, and a growing momentum among local . . . militant groups”;     “the CEO of [a] major Philippine news site . . . has told the BBC charges of tax evasion were 'manufactured' because they had been critical of the state . . . they are intended to 'intimidate and harass' journalists” - see also here and here;     the Philippine’s (bodyguard-imitating initially little rich boy [until sexually abused by a catholic priest], misogynistic [wannabe  rapist], self-proclaimed murderer,  mass killing enabler, admitter of extrajudicial killings,  human rights abusing, with shades of Pinochet) 73 year old president  Marcos-Lite “missed several meetings at a regional summit because he was taking ‘power naps’ “ (I’ve taken power naps all my life and endorse them people thinking they’re a sign of laziness are idiots, in my experience, but is his health up to the task of the role?);
     and in the Pacific:
     -   poverty, health [NY Times], and corruption concerns in PNG as it hosts the APEC conference;     Fiji is finally trying to convince the world or itself that it is a democracy by holding elections . . . ;
• With regard to Europe and the European Union (EU) (which need to step up, as the USA steps down):
     -   more social backwardness and sexist bigotry in Ireland, in the court system – which in other areas of life, has made some progress at shaking off neochristian shackles;
     -   continuing risks to peace in Kosovo;
     -   another article on the Polish government’s ties to the far right;
     -   the UK advertising regulatory body has made what I consider a political decision to ban a planned end of year season ad by a supermarket store with environmentally friendly credentials on the grounds that environmentally sustainable themes are political . . . ;
• With regard to the (forgotten or ignored and underreported) conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:
     -   humanitarian needs are rising as temperatures plummet;
• With regard to Russia (which is currently supporting an – in my opinion, based on R2P principles - illegitimate regime in Syria),     Russian influenced nations     and     eastern Europe,     Central Asia,     and responses to same (see also elsewhere):
     Russia:
     -   Chechnya “uses televised shamings to stop dissent”;
• 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):
     -   events concerning Afghanistan have occurred or are developing in:   India;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
     on India:
     -   the story of a woman who fasted for 16 years in protest against the imposition of “a colonial-era law known as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA, which grants virtual immunity from prosecution to Indian military stationed there” in a “violent, divided former kingdom . . . riven by ethnic and anti-Indian insurgencies”, as AFSPA “created a new category of Indian citizens who are killable people, rape-able women . . . We have concrete records of at least 1,528 extrajudicial executions of civilians over the space of 33 years” . . . she ended her fast, disillusioned by the failure of her supporters (admirers?) to take action, after she fell in love (to the displeasure of her “supporters . . . this does show how difficult it is to have a Gandhi-type impact);     “a rising tide of nationalism in India is driving ordinary citizens to spread fake news, according to BBC research” (in other nations also, in my opinion);    “a 12-day-old boy has died after he was snatched from his mother and bitten by a monkey in northern India”;     one state has “in the light of serious allegations against the CBI”, withdrawn “the ‘general consent’ granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), effectively curtailing the agency’s powers in the State without prior permission”;     the challenges facing a Muslim woman who is a candidate for the Hindu nationalist party;     police have killed dozens of “militants” ahead of elections in Kashmir;     a parking rage murder;     an editorial on too few court judges;     criticism of India’s quest for nuclear powered submarines;     “India must remain engaged with the multiple processes underway on Afghan reconciliation”;
     -   other events concerning India have occurred or are developing in:   here,   here;
     elsewhere in South Asia:
     -   “rival politicians have come to blows in Sri Lanka's Parliament after the disputed Prime Minister claimed the Speaker had no authority to remove him from office by voice vote”;
• 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:
     -   “an Israeli officer has been killed and another injured during a raid by Israeli special forces in Gaza [that] killed seven Palestinians including ... one of [an extremist group's] commanders” - which has led to intense fighting;     unwise, unhelpful and downright dangerous bluster from a Palestinian extremist group’s leader as “hundreds of residents from southern communities, which were battered by recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, protested in Tel Aviv . . . against a truce”;      Israel’s coming elections may result in some changes of government . . . ;     in a move that is also unwise and unhelpful, relatives of a violent extremist have been “charged for failing to prevent [a] fatal attack”;
     -   other violent incidents this week include:   here,   here;
     -   other events concerning Israel/Judaism and/or Palestine have occurred or are developing in:   UN,   here,   here;
     on the  conflict and the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis in Yemen:
     -   fighting in Yemen’s main port city is spreading into suburban areas;
     -   other events concerning Yemen have occurred or are developing in:   USA;
     elsewhere in the region:
     -   more sanctions have been imposed on Iran;     examination of international concerns about Iran’s missiles;
     -   Iraq has returned Kuwaiti property stolen during the invasion in the late 80s;
     -   rescued asylum seekers are refusing to get off a ship to go back to Libya;
     -   an assessment of the impact of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi on Saudi Arabian politics as the USA imposes sanctions on 17 Saudis, the Saudi prosecutor seeks the death penalty for five of the alleged perpetrators, and a Middle East Eye exclusive says Turkey (which is still arresting people over protests from years ago) has enough intercepted communications to “demolish” the cover up . . . ;
     -   the blatant hypocrisy of the UAE’s “World Tolerance Summit”.

Other News:

• an assessment that a recently deceased comic author “showed us ordinary people could do extraordinary things”.

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 [see Psychic Weather Report]. 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.