China-Africa Relations:

China woos Africa, hoping for long-term gains

By Craig Simons
Statesman.com
INTERNATIONAL STAFF

When China broke ground last month on a $120 million headquarters for the African Union, the chief organization of African nations, Wu Bangguo, one of China’s top leaders, called the gift “another example of the growing friendship between China and Africa.”

The sleek, glass-and-steel building will offer a concrete symbol of warming ties between China and Africa.

China’s investment in Africa has surged in recent years and trade between China and Africa is expected to reach $100 billion this year, surpassing the United States for the first time, according to Chinese experts.

Beijing’s motivations, however, are less clear. China has characterized the burgeoning relationship as benevolent, a rising tide that is spurring African development and sating Chinese demand for energy and raw materials.

But China’s spending spree is also redrawing political alliances and some analysts say they fear the United States is losing influence on the continent.

In July, Eric Edelman, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that “China’s full court press to establish influence and connections in Africa and Latin America may be seismic in its future implications for the United States.”

Other experts say they worry that China’s trade is undermining international efforts to promote political change in Africa. Activists argue that China’s investments in Sudan — where China has financed close to $1.3 billion of infrastructure projects in recent years — have weakened global efforts to enforce peace in the restive Darfur region, for example.

While China “looks at Africa strategically as a continent that has resources that it needs to drive its economy forward,” concern has grown in the United States and Europe that Beijing’s influence will have negative effects, said Wenran Jiang, a Univ ersity of Alberta political economist.

“There are some people who argue that China has an evil design in terms of geostrategic gains,” Jiang said.

China’s growing presence is on display throughout Africa. Between 2001 and 2007, China’s trade with the continent grew from $11 billion to $73 billion annually, while Beijing’s aid to African states nearly doubled.

In 2006, which Beijing dubbed the “Year of Africa,” Chinese companies spent more than $7 billion in the continent. Last year, they invested another $4.5 billion on projects to build railroad lines, roads, hydroelectric plants and other operations, according to an August report by the World Bank.

But concerns persist that China’s basic tenet of non-interference in the affairs of foreign governments has undermined efforts to stamp out corruption and end bloodshed in Africa. U.S. companies, for example, were forced to leave Sudan in the 1980s because of civil war and sanctions imposed by Washington.

Chinese firms face no restrictions from Beijing and have taken advantage of the lack of competition. Chinese companies have financed more than a billion dollars of infrastructure projects in Sudan.

Activists argue that the investment has weakened attempts by nations, including the U.S., to force Sudan’s leaders to end fighting in its Darfur region, which has killed at least 200,000 people.

As Sudan’s leading trade partner and major investor, China “provides Khartoum with the resources needed to carry out violence against the people of Darfur,” the nonprofit groups Save Darfur Coalition and Dream for Darfur said in a March statement.

For their part, Western companies worry that Beijing’s growing influence might help China win lucrative contracts. Several major oil companies have said that Beijing has used its political clout to win business for Chinese state-owned firms.

The New York-based U.S. Council on Foreign Relations found in a 2006 report that Chinese “soft loans” and other incentives “bolster its competitive advantage” in acquiring natural resources.

U.S. and European firms developed promising African oil fields and mineral deposits many years ago and control the most lucrative areas. But many African leaders are grateful for China’s growing role and might be swayed to favor Chinese firms in the future, said Chris Alden, a director at the South African Institute of International Affairs.

“Right now, the best natural resources are still in Western hands, but that can change and maybe we’re seeing the beginning of that change,” he said.

First Black Hebrew gets Israeli citizenship

Forty years after arriving in Israel as self-identified descendants of the Tribe of Judah, first member of Israelite community gets letter from Interior Ministry approving request for citizenship. Ministry says more approvals to follow.

Zvi Alush
YnetNews.com
Israel News

Director-General of the Interior Ministry Arieh Bar said granting members of the community the promised citizenship was a bold decision on the part of Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit.

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah," members of Dimona's Black Hebrew Israelite community sang out after one of them received a notification that he was eligible for Israeli citizenship. The first of the Black Hebrews arrived in Israel from the United States and Liberia in December 1969, claiming to be the descendants of the Tribe of Judah.

Upon their arrival the Hebrews settled in the southern communities of Dimona, Mitzpe Ramon and Arad, and have struggled extensively in an attempt to gain recognition from the State of Israel.

Only in August 2003 did the Black Hebrew Israelites get the news they were waiting for when then- Interior Minister, Avraham Poraz granted them the status of permanent residents.

In 2004 members of the community, both men and woman, for the first time joined the Israel Defense Force and began fulfilling their civil duties.

On Monday, 62-year-old Elyakim Ben-Israel made his way to the post office to collect a letter sent by registered mail. When he opened the letter, Ben-Israel was delighted to find a summons from the Interior Ministry inviting him to go pledge allegiance to the State of Israel and its laws. "I jumped for joy and ran to the community and we all laughed and cried," Ben-Israel said on Monday.

Ben-Israel said he was the first of the community to renounce his American citizenship at the instructions of the community's leader Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, and filed for Israeli citizenship many years ago.

The Interior Ministry said on Monday that more members of the Black Hebrew community can expect to receive citizenship approval letters.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3665976,00.html

The Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Summit was a huge success! Yah Khai!!!

KNN-Environmental Awareness Department

The Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Summit which took place from January 23-25, 2009 in Atlanta Georgia was a resounding success! Conferees sojourned from as far as Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Mississippi, Florida, Oklahoma and of course from within Georgia to participate in this momentous event. Throughout the coming days, KNN will be featuring highlights from the Summit.

One such highlight was a dynamic presentation by Ahkote Birooreet E. Ben Or's on Renewable Energy where she focused on 'free energy' sources, such as the "Earth Battery". She demonstrated the energy present in a soil sample. Electricity charges were measured using a voltage detector, opper and brass plates, wires and an ice tray of soil and a significant charge was registered.

The same simple technology was used to detect a voltage reading for the "Human Battery" which proved a fascinating display of how humans also generate free energy. She held in her hands positive and negative poles connected to the voltage detector and invited participants to do participate in the experience as well and to get their voltage 'reading'. The reading was surprisingly higher when she wet her hands using water as an electric conduit. To say the least, it was fascinating to learn that we too carry a measurable and renewable energy charge!

The workshop on Environmental Protection which Ahkote Birooreet also facilitated resolved to raise the consciousness of all in their environments via instituting recycling of paper, plastics, aluminum, cooking oil and printer cartridges, to practice recycling in the Soul Vegetarian Restaurant chain as well as in the participants' homes. They also resolved to educate the public on humans' positive and negative impact upon the environment and how we can work collectively to decrease our negative impact on the environment.

For more information on getting involved with the work of the Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living team, please email Ahtur Keymah at keymah777@aol.com or simply leave a comment here on KNN with your name and contact information (email address) and we will reply to you directly.

Thanks and stay tuned to KNN for the latest "green" updates!

There Are Many Gardens In The Garden

In Perfect Love and Peace,
Yehuda HaCohane

KNN-The Village of Peace
Dimona, Israel


All over the Kefar (the Village of Peace in Dimona, Israel-home of the African Hebrew Israelite Community), the people are planting food and herbs. With the advent of Ben Ammi's Restoration Village Document and DVD (2005/06) as the root and inspiration of this motion, there has been a rekindling of the passion for growing food in many individuals, and an instilling of a new energy in those who had never before grown anything. The Kefar is jumpin’ with Divine Green Consciousness!

The Ministry of Divine Agriculture headed up by Sar (Minister) Yadiel has essentially branched out and assisted the saints in being able to transform any and every available space or plot of dirt into a divine agri-garden area.

Ahk Elinatan, Ahk Avichai and the rest of the team of Divine Agri-Scientists are making an impact on the spirit of the people as Sar Yadiel’s years of experience; dedication and efforts continue to bear fruit. Halleluyah!

As you stroll through the Kefar today you can witness the growing of a variety of herbs and vegetables, some of which are even being grown in pots and on windowsills.

What gives this idea motivation is the variety of reasons that one might take to start gardening. Most surveys show that the majority of people who garden and grow vegetables say that they want that special homegrown flavor and the satisfaction of sustaining themselves by growing their own food. Others grow their own food to save money, and still other people garden just to have a nice hobby that provides pleasure and pride.

The pleasures of divine gardening are indeed many--getting outside, exercising, putting your hands in the sacred soil, growing things, and the special pride that comes with the harvest.

An even more profound concept on why a Son or Daughter of Yah should endeavor to garden and grow things is because of the relationship that we are fostering with Yah (the Creator) and His life-giving creation. It would literally be disrespect to the Creator to never cultivate a relationship with the Creation, plants in particular.

The contemporary mainstream society has directed the attention of the people towards “SELF”. It is however essential to “know thyself” but self-alone cannot be the focus of the life that you have been given. Yah is the source of our life and we should venture to serve and bond with Him while gleaning divine wisdom from all of those many experiences.

"For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations."

Isaiah 61:10-11

The disrespect that was spoken of earlier is of the same type that supports the idea that there can be such a man on this earth (in leadership) that can acknowledge that “God” created the whole planet, yet there is no continent, country, state or city in this so-called civilized earth/society that is governed by his laws and ways. Think about it! Change begins with you and I. We are to learn from the creation around us. Observe and be attentive.

“If you love it enough, anything will talk with you. Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.”

George Washington Carver

The Yah-inspired saints are the driving, motivating force that empowers the Kingdom. You provide energy to all the living. In this season plant a seed and grow a life.


Some Kefar keys to Living Divinely Green

* Eat enzyme rich foods and consider organically grown food as an investment in your health.

* Freeze leftovers and reinvent unsuccessful dinner experiments. Never throw anything away if it can be prevented.

* Grow sprouts and herbs indoors. Sprouting can be a very inexpensive and health vitalizing practice.

* Give edible gifts. They are greatly appreciated and can be healthier and less costly.

* Buy seasonal produce. It has a tendency to taste better and it costs much less.

* Cover what you are cooking. Water will boil faster and you’ll use less energy if you cover the pots while you cook.

* Use cloth napkins and shopping bags. Aside from being less costly and environmentally friendly, they are much more attractive than their paper and plastic counterparts.

* Carry your own lunch. This is a habit that will save you thousands; and protect your health.

Iceland’s Government Collapses

Iceland’s coalition government collapsed Monday, the latest fallout from a global financial crisis
By Judy Dempsey
New York Times

Iceland’s coalition government collapsed Monday, the latest fallout from a global financial crisis that has sparked angry demonstrations against governments across Europe.

Prime Minister Geir Haarde said he was unwilling to meet the demands of his coalition partners, the Social Democratic Alliance Party, which had insisted upon getting the post of prime minister to keep the coalition intact, The Associated Press reported from Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital.

Last week, Mr. Haarde called elections for May, bringing forward a vote originally scheduled for 2011, after weeks of protests by Icelanders angered by soaring unemployment and rising prices. But Mr. Haarde said he would not lead his Independence Party into the new elections because he needed treatment for cancer.

Iceland has been in crisis since the collapse of its banks because of massive debt in September and October, with its currency, the krona, plummeting. The country’s commerce minister, Bjorgvin Sigurdsson, quit Sunday, citing the pressures of the economic collapse, The A.P. reported.

The demonstrations in Iceland, which have also demanded the resignation of governor of the nation’s central bank, have been mirrored elsewhere in Europe.

The Latvian government, which this month pushed through wage and spending cuts but also tax hikes in order to cope with the banking crisis, faced demonstrations that turned into violent riots. Neighboring Lithuania also had to contend with protesters after the government introduced a package of austerity measures to protect the financial sector.

In southern Europe, tens of thousands turned out in the Spanish city of Zaragoza last week to press the local authorities to deal with soaring unemployment as the country’s construction and retailing industries are hit by the global downturn. And in Greece, the government is still coming to terms with widespread student protests against education reforms.

In all cases, the demonstrations have had a mix of sentiments — anti-globalization, anti-capitalist and anti-reform.

See: Iceland’s Government Collapses

The Ministry of Divine Health Experiments with Solar Stove

KNN-Village of Peace
Dimona, Israel


The continuing quest to live in harmony with the natural elements of Yah's (God's) Creation, the Ministry of Divine Health in the African Hebrew Israelite Community or "Kibbutz Shomrei HaShalom" ("Guardians of Peace") is currently conducting experiments with solar stoves.

The all-vegan community, known for its holistic health practices and lifestyle, obtained the stoves from a manufacturer in India. Over the past several weeks, community nutritionists have prepared meals with a variety of seasonal organic vegetables. The results have been inspiring.

"I am still looking for the words to describe how tasty this food is," said Prince Danyel. "When you taste it you feel like it is the first time you have ever really tasted the vegetables. And it is without any seasonings what so ever!"

"You feel like you are eating energy with every bite," added one. "It doesn't matter if its hot or cold. Maybe this is why the ancients lived so long."

The Ministry plans to acquire more solar ovens both for the nutritional benefits, and the energy and environmental ones also. With so many days of sunshine in the Negev Desert the community members expect to reap economic dividends from savings on cooking gas and electricity.

We are already seeing benefits, even during this winter season," said Baht Ammi Baht Israel. We can't wait to see what happens in the spring and summer months."

The simple technology allows for a pot to be held in a cradle which receives reflected rays from the sun off a shield of metal strips that amazingly do not get hot at all in the process. To ensure that maximum benefits are achieved, local planners envision solar lunch days for the entire community and guests - another attraction for their way of life that has captivated guests from all over the world.

The vegetables are steam cooked in the stainless steel cookware in minutes retaining color, texture and incredible taste. The amazing results from the tests - conducted in the winter sun, more than assures community members that the benefits achieved are numerous.


Please click here for more information about the Hebrew Israelite Community's Village of Peace in Dimona, Israel.

The Kefar - Village of Peace “Goes Green”

The African Hebrew Israelite Community in Dimona Israel has a positive impact on the environment

KNN Staff

Over the course of this next year KNN will highlight the many ways that the Hebrew Israelite Community in Dimona Israel are introducing green practices. The goal of the community is to live a sustainable lifestyle that has the least negative impact on our planet.

They have already introduced many green practices such as organic farming, composting, and solar cooking. Later this year they are expected to introduce recycling and solar lighting to the “Kefar – Village of Peace.”

Stay tuned to KNN for more details about the “Kefar Goes Green” Campaign.

Big chill clamps down on upper Midwest

Friday it was -10 in Cleveland, -6 in Detroit and -11 in Chicago
Associated Press

A bone-numbing Arctic blast drove temperatures down Friday to 11 below in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, closing schools to spare children from freezing at bus stops and prompting police to keep a watchful eye out for the homeless.

Forecasters said temperatures in the upper Midwest could turn into the coldest in years as frigid air keeps spilling south from Canada. The cold snap has claimed at least six lives and contributed to dozens of traffic accidents as vehicles slipped and slid on icy roads.

Scores of schools in Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and upstate New York canceled classes for Friday as officials feared it would be dangerous for students to walk to school or wait for buses.
"They're waiting 30 minutes at a bus stop; there's the fear of frostbite and hypothermia," said Champaign Assistant Superintendent Beth Shepperd. "We also have more children walking to school without adequate outerwear."

At 5:30 a.m. Friday it was minus 10 in Cleveland, minus 6 in Detroit and minus 11 in Chicago.

In Philadelphia, an alert issued Tuesday remained in effect Friday, calling on residents to report sightings of homeless people. City crews worked to repair a number of water main breaks after pipes ruptured due to the cold.

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, wind chills as low as 25 below were reported in the greater Pittsburgh area. Forecasters expected 25-below wind chills in parts of northern Pennsylvania through Saturday morning.

See: Big chill clamps down on upper Midwest

U.S. group sues Coke over VitaminWater health claims

The 33 grams of sugar in each bottle do more to promote obesity than good health
Reuters News Service

A U.S. consumer group said Thursday it filed a class action lawsuit against Coca-Cola Co, accusing the company of making deceptive health claims about its VitaminWater beverages.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said Coke made a range of claims that go beyond those allowed by the Food and Drug Administration.
"Coke markets VitaminWater as a healthful alternative to soda by labeling its several flavors with such health buzz words as 'defense,' 'rescue,' 'energy,' and 'endurance,'" the group said in a statement.

The company also claims the drinks reduce the risk of chronic disease and eye disease, promote healthy joints and support immune function, CSPI said.

"In fact, according to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of VitaminWater do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles," the consumer group said.

Coke officials were not immediately available for comment.

First US Count Finds 1 in 200 Kids Vegetarian

By Medical Writer Mike Stobbe,

Ap Medical Writer

Sam Silverman is co-captain of his high school football team — a safety accustomed to bruising collisions. But that's nothing compared with the abuse he gets for being a vegetarian. "I get a lot of flak for it in the locker room," said the 16-year-old junior at Westborough High School in Massachusetts. "All the time, my friends try to get me to eat meat and tell me how good it tastes and how much bigger I would be," said Silverman, who is 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. "But for me, there's no real temptation."

Silverman may feel like a vegetable vendor at a butchers' convention, but about 367,000 other kids are in the same boat, according to a recent study that provides the government's first estimate of how many children avoid meat. That's about 1 in 200. Other surveys suggest the rate could be four to six times that among older teens who have more control over what they eat than young children do.

Vegetarian diets exclude meat, but the name is sometimes loosely worn. Some self-described vegetarians eat fish or poultry on occasion, while others — called vegans — cut out animal products of any kind, including eggs and dairy products. Anecdotally, adolescent vegetarianism seems to be rising, thanks in part to YouTube animal slaughter videos that shock the developing sensibilities of many U.S. children. But there isn't enough long-term data to prove that, according to government researchers. The new estimate of young vegetarians comes from a recent federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of alternative medicine based on a survey of thousands of Americans in 2007. Information on children's diet habits was gleaned from about 9,000 parents and other adults speaking on the behalf of those under 18.

Vegetarians say it's animal welfare, not health, that most often causes kids to stop eating meat. "Compassion for animals is the major, major reason," said Richard Schwartz, president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America, an organization with a newsletter mailing list of about 800. "When kids find out the things they are eating are living animals — and if they have a pet...." Case in point is Nicole Nightingale, 14, of Safety Harbor, Fla. In 2007, Nightingale was on the Internet to read about chicken when she came across a video on YouTube that showed the birds being slaughtered. At the end, viewers were invited to go to the Web site peta.org — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Nicole told her parents she was going vegan, prompting her mother to send an angry letter to PETA. But the vegan diet is working out, and now her mother is taking steps to become a vegetarian, too, said Nightingale, an eighth-grader. She believes her experience was typical for a pre-adolescent vegetarian. "A lot more kids are using the Internet. They're curious about stuff and trying to become independent and they're trying to find out who they are," she said.

Eating vegetarian can be very healthy — nutritionists often push kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, of course. For growing children, however, it's important to get sufficient amounts of protein, vitamins B12 and D, iron, calcium and other important nutrients that most people get from meat, eggs and dairy.

Also, vegetarian diets are not necessarily slimming. Some vegetarian kids cut out meat but fill up on doughnuts, french fries, soda or potato chips, experts said. "Vegetarian doesn't mean low-calorie," said Dr. Christopher Bolling, who directs weight management research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He said roughly 10 to 15 percent of the overweight kids who come to his medical center's weight loss program have tried a vegetarian diet at some point before starting the program.

Rayna Middlebrooks, 15, last year started a weight-loss program offered by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, a nonprofit hospital organization. Although Rayna does a great job of cooking vegetable-rich stir-fried meals for herself, she also loves pasta, soda and sweets. "I have to watch her with the candy," said mother Barbara Middlebrooks, of Decatur.

On the flip side is Silverman, the Boston-area football player. He's pleased with his health and has no problem sticking to his diet. Rather than try to negotiate the school cafeteria line, he brings his lunch to school. It's the same lunch every day — rye bread, some chicken-like tofu, cheese, a clementine and an assortment of Nutrigrain, Cliff, granola and Power Bars. He was raised vegetarian and said it's now so deeply ingrained that the idea of eating meat is nauseating. Recently, he ate something he belatedly realized might contain chicken. "I felt sick the rest of the day, until I threw up," he said.

To view full article, please click here.

Registeration Available Online Now

KOY Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Summit
KNN-Dept. of Environmental Sciences

Register online now for the KOY Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Summit to be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Return to Royalty Banquet Hall (Soul Vegetarian Restaurant Complex-West End).

Please note the correct Summit dates are JANUARY 23-25, 2009
(FRIDAY-SUNDAY).

The $75.00 conference fee includes conference packets, divine inner-attainment, vegan meals (free of meat, dairy, animal products & by-products) and workshops. Please see agenda below:

Conference Agenda

Friday, Jan. 23rd 2009:
8:00PM-10:00PM
Check-In & Registration, Meet & Greet

Saturday, Jan. 24th 2009:
9:00AM-12:00Noon
Morning Session, Conference Overview & Purpose

Topic I: The Future of Water
Topic II: Renewable Energy

-Break-

Topic III: The Restoration Village
Topic IV: Global Sustainability

-Lunch-

1:00PM-4:00PM
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
-Economics-Sar Aytahniel
-Agriculture-Ahk Yaneev
-Architecture-Ahtur Ariel

-Break-

7:00PM-10:00PM
Resolution Statements (10 mins each)

-Dinner-

Keynote Topic: "Sustaining the Yah Idea"

Closeout

Entertainment

Sunday, Jan. 25th 2009
9:00AM-12:00Noon
Closeout Breakfast
Special DVD Presentation - Sar Yadiel (Israel)

Closing Statements

2:00PM-5:00PM
Breath of Life Class

To register online, please click here, or go to http://www.africanhebrewisraelitesofjerusalem.com/, scroll down and click on the globe.

For more information on the Summit, please contact Ahtur Keymah at keymah777@aol.com.

We'll see you there!

Gaza and the Dimona Hebrews

The Chronical Review
John L. Jackson, Jr.

In 1966, amid race riots and related urban unrest in America’s poorest neighborhoods, one of Chicago’s native sons, a 26-something African-American named Ben Ammi, led a group of African-Americans out of the “wilderness” of 1960s America.

Every Sunday morning, Ammi (born Ben Carter) delivered his emigrationist message atop a literal soapbox on Maxwell Street in one of the city’s crowded shopping districts. After convincing some 400 people to sell their homes, stockpile canned goods, ignore jeering relatives, and purchase tents for the journey, Ammi began to lead this exodus in the heat of July the following year.

Their first stop, Liberia, proved to be a temporary sojourn. Ammi (who is still alive and well) believes that African-Americans are actually descendents of ancient Hebrews, which means that West Africa was never necessarily their final destination. So, in 1969, these African-Americans moved their emigrationist experiment from West Africa to “Northeastern Africa,” the modern state of Israel. Not quite knowing how to respond to their genealogical claims, the Israeli government allowed them to enter the country in 1969 on “temporary” visas. And these African-Americans have been there ever since.

By the summer of 2004, when I first visited them in the quaint and quiet desert town of Dimona in Israel’s Negev region, about 40 miles southeast of Gaza, I was surprised to learn that the initial 400 emigres had ballooned to several thousand, and that these African-American immigrants who invoke the “right of return” to justify their presence in the area have established themselves as a recognizable (if small) segment of contemporary Israel’s multicultural landscape.

I’ve been conducting ethnographic research with this group (on and off) for the last five years. Most of that research has taken place among community members here in the United States, but I’ve also spent several shorter stints with the group in southern Israel. During one of those visits, Israel’s government was forcibly removing Israeli settlers from Gaza. I remember watching those conflicts and skirmishes on a television set in Dimona. Although not too far away from Gaza (objectively speaking), it still seemed light years away. The “African Hebrews of Jerusalem” traveled without fear. And they made sure I took note of how safe Dimona’s night’s felt, full of children playing in the streets and household doors opened and unlocked well into the wee hours of the morning.

When I found out about the bomb that fell in Beersheba last week, a city about midway between Gaza and Dimona, and someplace community members took me several times during my trip, I e-mailed to make sure that they were all OK. They relocated some community members who were residing there, but they explained that they were otherwise safe. In fact, they claimed to be more worried about how I was doing over here.

As we each follow this escalating conflict, it probably makes sense to think about the many ways, big and small, that we are all differently invested (and even implicated) in the conflagration.

Source:

http://chronicle.com/review/brainstorm/index.php?id=1092

Another Reason To Avoid High-fat Diet

It Can Disrupt Our Biological Clock,
Say Hebrew University Researchers

MedicalNewsToday.com
Nutrition / Diet


Indulgence in a high-fat diet can not only lead to overweight because of excessive calorie intake, but also can affect the balance of circadian rhythms - everyone's 24-hour biological clock, Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers have shown.

The biological clock regulates the expression and/or activity of enzymes and hormones involved in metabolism, and disturbance of the clock can lead to such phenomena as hormone imbalance, obesity, psychological and sleep disorders and cancer.

While light is the strongest factor affecting the circadian clock, Dr. Oren Froy and his colleagues of the Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition at the Hebrew University's Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment in Rehovot, have demonstrated in their experiment that there is a cause-and-effect relation between diet and biological clock imbalance.

To examine this thesis, Froy and his colleagues, Ph.D. student Maayan Barnea and Zecharia Madar, the Karl Bach Professor of Agricultural Biochemistry, tested whether the clock controls the adiponectin signaling pathway in the liver and, if so, how fasting and a high-fat diet affect this control. Adiponectin is secreted from differentiated adipocytes (fat tissue) and is involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. It increases fatty acid oxidation and promotes insulin sensitivity, two highly important factors in maintaining proper metabolism.

The researchers fed their subjects either a low-fat or a high-fat diet, followed by a fasting day, then measured components of the adiponectin metabolic pathway at various levels of activity. In the low-fat test subjects' diet, the adiponectin signaling pathway components exhibited normal circadian rhythmicity.

Fasting resulted in a phase advance. The high-fat diet resulted in a phase delay. Fasting raised and the high-fat diet reduced adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels. This protein is involved in fatty acid metabolism, which could be disrupted by the lower levels.

In an article soon to be published by the journal Endocrinology, the researchers suggest that this high-fat diet could contribute to obesity, not only through its high caloric content, but also by disrupting the phases and daily rhythm of clock genes. They contend also that high fat-induced changes in the clock and the adiponectin signaling pathway may help explain the disruption of other clock-controlled systems associated with metabolic disorders, such as blood pressure levels and the sleep/wake cycle.


Source http://www.alphagalileo.com/ , http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/134216.php

U.S. loses another 524,000 jobs

U.S. lost more than half a million jobs last month
by G. Scott Thomas
Business First Magizine


The nation lost more than half a million jobs last month, while the unemployment rate soared to 7.2 percent, it was announced Friday morning.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a loss of 524,000 jobs between November and December. That continued a four-month losing streak, which saw 1.93 million jobs vanish between August and December.

The national unemployment rate crossed the 7 percent mark in December, rising from 6.8 percent in November to 7.2 percent.

The biggest decline occurred in the manufacturing sector, which lost 149,000 jobs in December alone. A total of 791,000 manufacturing jobs disappeared in the 12 months of 2008, an average loss of 66,000 per month.

The nation also lost 101,000 construction jobs in December -- and 632,000 in the entire year.
Employment in the retail trade sector declined on a seasonally adjusted basis, despite the holiday season. There were 66,600 fewer retail trade jobs in December than in the month before. Total retail losses for the year totaled 522,300 jobs.

Good news was hard to come by in Friday’s report. The only sectors to register increases between November and December were health care, which picked up 31,600 jobs nationally; educational services, up 7,000 jobs; and government, which added a total of 7,000 jobs at the federal, state and local levels.

The unemployment rate reached 7.2 percent in December, the first time it had crossed 7 percent since 1993.

Unemployment stood at 4.9 percent one year ago.

See: US loses another 524000 jobs

Ahtur Keymah Class-ics Available on CD!!!

KNN-Staff
Advertising Dept.


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John Atta Mills claims Ghana's Presidential Seat in runoff election

KNN-Ghana, West Africa

In a cliffhanger presidential race between Ghana's two dominant parties NPP and NDC, opposition leader NDC's flag bearer Prof. John Atta Mills (NDC) has prevailed as Ghana's President Elect, announces Ghana's Electoral Commission.

The Commission's chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has confirmed that Mills won the runoff by a narrow margin having secured 50.23% of the votes, while his opponent, the ruling party's candidate Nana Akufo-Addo made out with 49.77%.

NDC 's (National Democratic Congress) narrow victory over ruling NPP (New Patriotic Party) party was declared on Saturday in the wake of a crucial makeup vote held Friday in Tain, a western district where due to a shortage of ballots and late arrival of electoral materials, voters had not been able to cast their second round ballots on December 28, 2008.

The ruling NPP party had requested cancellation of the makeup vote and vowed to boycott it. Nonetheless, the vote was conducted and helped to seal the marginal win increasing NDC's lead from 50.13% to 50.23% of the votes.

Both NDP and NPP parties claimed abnormal voting procedures in various district, however the evidence that each submitted did not substantiate any foul play.

Ghana's exiting President John Kufour (NPP), stepping down after having served the maximum of two 4-year terms, called for peace during Friday's runoff election as well as in its aftermath. NPP's lawyers withdrew its court complaints to preserve the country's stability.

President Elect Mills is a 64-year-old lawyer, law professor who served as Vice President under former President Jerry J. Rawlings. Mills had attempted twice previously to win the presidential bid in 2000 and 2004.

Among the many privileges he will enjoy as Ghana's new President elect, the win grants Mills the right to decide how revenues from Ghana's recent commercially significant oil and hydrocarbon discoveries will be managed. His decision may thrust Ghana into the likes of its neighbors as an oil exporter as early as 2010.

Ghana ranks as the world's largest cocoa grower as well as Africa's second gold producer. To add to its wealth, one find at a Ghanaian oil-field has been estimated at 1.8 billion barrels of crude petroleum.

Eat Produce in Season for Better Health

Family Food & Nutrition

From essortment.com

Get the maximum health and nutritional benefit from the fruits and vegetables you eat by choosing produce at peak ripeness, locally grown & freshly harvested.

Today's food shopper has choices our ancestors never dreamed of. Year-round, they can go to the grocery store and buy produce that was once available for only a few months or weeks of the year. Have strawberries in November, corn on the cob in February!

Given these options, why would one want to eat like our ancestors did, eating produce in season, grown within a short drive from their homes? Because it's better for you, and it tastes better too. Produce is at its peak nutritional value when it is ripe. But fruits and vegetables that will be traveling long distances to market aren't picked when they are ripe, but before ripeness. While the produce gains color and softness on its journey to the supermarket, once harvested, a vegetable is as nutritious as its going to get. Its nutritional value comes through the stem from the living plant, and its nutritional value actually decreases every day past harvest.

Nutritional value is not on the top of the large commercial vegetable farmer's agenda. In times past, when all produce was local, horticulturists' primary criteria for developing new strains of fruits and vegetables were taste and nutritional value. But today, with much of the growing, harvesting, handling by machines and shipping of produce around the world, other criteria such as sturdiness, shippability, uniformity of size and grocery case eye appeal take precedence.

While these new criteria are important to the grower's profits, they add nothing to the consumer's health, rather, they detract from it. Sturdy produce that stands up to lengthy shipping loses nutritional value with every day that passes between harvest and eating.

So for your health's sake, when you're shopping for produce, find your local vegetable stand, preferably one on the road right in front of the farm where the fruits and vegetables are grown, selling what was picked that day. Eat produce intended to be grown in the area where you live, and buy it at its peak of ripeness, rather than produce that was picked unripe and shipped thousands of miles.

If you live in the city, finding the farm stand might take some doing, and getting there will require some driving. Look for a farmer's market or your local health food store's fresh produce section, or maybe add some healthy outdoor exercise into the mix and grow your own! If you lack the yard space, time, or inclination, by all means, support your community fruit and vegetable growers by buying your produce ripe, locally grown, and freshly harvested.

http://www.essortment.com/family/foodnutritionh_smqt.htm

Violent protest over Ghana poll results

American Free Press (AFP)
ACCRA

Ghanaian police fired water cannon late Wednesday on ruling party supporters who besieged the country's electoral commission in protest at presidential election results, witnesses and local media said.

Dozens of angry protesters wielding machetes and sticks attacked passing vehicles and local journalists after partial results from the run-off vote gave the opposition candidate a lead.

Completed official results for 229 of the 230 constituencies have shown opposition leader John Atta-Mills maintaining a slim lead over governing party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo.

The demonstrators only dispersed after the regional minister for greater Accra addressed the crowd and assured them of victory after the decisive vote in a remote constituency which has emerged as decisive.

Quiz: Are You Eating Enough Vegetables?

From AOLHealth.com

True or False?
1. According to the new USDA-issued food pyramid everyone needs 3 cups of vegetables a day?

2. It takes 2 cups of raw leafy greens (i.e. spinach, romaine lettuce) to equal one cup of your daily vegetable requirement.

3. Eating tofu is a good way to get your veggie requirement?

4. Adding avocado slices to your sandwich will boost your vegetable quotient.

5. Onions add flavor to your pasta, but don't count as vegetables.

6. Only raw or cooked vegetables not frozen, canned or dried count as servings of vegetables.

7. A baked white potato is not a vegetable.

8. Which of the following salad toppings will give you the most servings of vegetables?
A. 1/2 large tomato, 1/2 cup of mushrooms
B. 1 large stalk of celery
C. 1/2 cup kidney beans, 1/2 cup broccoli
D. They are all equal


Answers:
1. False. The amount of vegetables you need to eat depends on
your age, sex and level of physical activity. For example,
women ages 31 to 50 need 2 1/2 cups a day while men the
same age need 3.

2. True. One cup of raw greens only counts as a 1/2 cup of your
daily vegetable requirement.

3. True. Eight ounces of tofu counts as a cup of vegetables.

4. False. Avocados are fruit, not vegetables.

5. False. One cup of cooked onions (chopped) counts as a cup of
veggies.

6. False. Vegetables may be raw or cooked, fresh, frozen, canned,
dried or dehydrated.

7. False. One medium baked potato is the equivalent of one serving
of vegetables.

8. D. They are all equal.


http://www.aolhealth.com/healthy-living/nutrition/eat-enough-vegetables

Food Phosphates Might Spur Lung Cancer

Food Phosphates Might Spur Lung Cancer
Accelerated growth of tumors seen in study
By Ed Edelson, HealthDay Reporter

A diet rich in the inorganic phosphates found in many natural and processed foods accelerated the growth of lung cancers in test subjects, South Korean researchers report.

"Our study suggests that dietary regulation of inorganic phosphates may be critical for lung cancer treatment as well as prevention," Myung-Haing Cho, lead author of a report in the first January issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, said in a statement.

Natural sources of dietary phosphates include leafy vegetables, fruits, meats and poultry products. Phosphates also are added to a number of foods, including baking powder, carbonated cola drinks, ice cream, bread, rolls, macaroni, fruit jellies and preserves. Food phosphates are listed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as GRAS -- generally recognized as safe -- with no limits on their use.

The South Korean study was done with two subjects, one genetically inclined to have lung cancer, the other with induced lung cancers. They were fed either diets containing phosphates in roughly the same amounts found in human diets or phosphates at twice that level. After four weeks, more and larger lung cancers were found in the subjects given the higher-phosphate diets, the report said.

Phosphates appear to activate a metabolic pathway that stimulates the growth of the lung tumors, the researchers said. There is "good scientific rationale" for believing that phosphates can stimulate the growth of lung cancers and other tumors, Heffner said. But for lung cancer, he said, "the first thing is not to smoke." Genetics can also play a role in risk, Heffner added, since "some smokers get lung cancer, and some don't."

"I'll be more cautious about inspecting foods I ingest for phosphate addition, trying to keep dietary phosphate ingestion in the healthy range," he said.

Studies are planned in South Korea to determine what the healthy range is, the researchers stated. In the 1990s, phosphate-containing food additives contributed an estimated 470 milligrams a day to the average adult diet. Their wider use has increased intake by as much as 1,000 milligrams a day, equivalent to the higher dose given to the rats in the experiment, Cho noted.

Please click here to view the full article.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100230103