The Raw Story

A non-profit news blog, focused on providing independent journalism.

Monday, 27 April 2015

Turning America into a battlefield: A blueprint for locking down the nation

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of...

Shell directs EU institutions in renewable energy farce

© Reuters / Arnd Wiegmann      Energy giant Shell lobbied to have renewable energy targets reduced in the run up to an EU-wide agreement on curbing carbon emissions, new documents reveal. The agreement in question was brokered by EU states in October 2014 at the 2030 climate talks. After the deal was announced, then-European Commission (EC) president, Jose Manuel Barroso, said it signaled real progress for the fight against...

Chinese Honor Guard arrives in Moscow for the first time ever to participate in Victory Day parade

© AFP 2015/ Frederic J. Brown      The Chinese army's Honor Guard has arrived in Moscow for the first time ever in what the country's ambassador calls a new stage in inter-military ties. The Chinese army's Honor Guard arrived in Moscow on Saturday to participate in the May 9 Victory Day parade. This is the first time that China is sending its Honor Guard to take part in a parade on Red Square. The 110 Guards of Honor are based...

Iran seeks nuclear-free Middle East and insists Israel 'give up the bomb'

© Reuters / Mike Segar      Iran has demanded that Israel give up its "nuclear weapons", as it spoke on behalf of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement. Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif said the bloc also wants a nuclear free-zone in the Middle East. Mohammad Javad Zarif was speaking at the United Nations for the non-aligned group of countries. Israel has never admitted or denied the widespread assumption it has nuclear...

Thimerosal: Let the science speak

© ageofautism.com      The common canard that U.S. autism rates rose after drug makers removed most thimerosal from pediatric vaccines is wrong. I am pro vaccine. I had all of my six children vaccinated. I believe that vaccines save millions of lives. So let me explain why I oppose the current wave of state legislation to remove parents' right to choose whether to give their children particular vaccines. Vaccines are big business....

Huge eagle owl nails landing on Dutch woman's head

© YouTube screengrab An eagle owl lands on the head of a Dutch woman.      A friendly and precise Eurasian Eagle-owl is catching the fancy of bird lovers in the Netherlands as it routinely lands on people's heads. The owl was first filmed landing on the head of Marianne in Noordeinde. Her husband captured the whole event, with the huge owl swooping down on her. Marianne had the foresight to put up her hood and the owl perched...

Modern life is a frightening experiment in how much exposure we can take from toxic chemicals

© ktffilms.com      Back in 1974, the agricultural multinational Monsanto developed a class of herbicides using glyphosate as the key ingredient. By the 1990s, the company had created corn, soy and cotton seeds genetically altered to resist glyphosate herbicides, meaning farmers could kill weeds without fearing for the health of their crops. Today, Monsanto's Roundup is the most widely used weed-killer in the world. One problem:...

Climber captures video of shocking moment avalanche hits Mt. Everest base camp after Nepal earthquake

© AFP Photo/Roberto Schmidt A cloud of snow and debris triggered by an earthquake flies towards Everest Base Camp on April 25, 2015.      It is hard enough to survive a massive earthquake in Nepal and for that to be followed by a horrific avalanche at Mount Everest. However, some climbers managed to capture the moment they were hit by a sea of ice and snow crashing into them on camera. A terrifying video posted on YouTube by...

Incredibly bizarre, investers take on debt as an investment

Negative Interest Rates: The Black Hole of The Financial System      A black swan event is a metaphor for an enormous problem that develops underneath the surface and then suddenly puts the whole financial system at risk. The financial crisis of 2008 was a black swan event, for example, that slowly developed in the US real estate market where excess had ruled in the years before. Today, market conditions are ideal for a new...

US ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Japan

© Flickr      The United States is ready to use all military options, including nuclear weapons, to defend its Japanese ally. "Central to this is the ironclad US commitment to the defense of Japan, through the full range of US military capabilities, including nuclear and conventional." The US Navy base in Yokosuka will station more ballistic missile defense warships by 2017 and receive an advanced nuclear-powered supercarrier...

India placed Ford Foundation on national security watchlist

© Adnan Abidi | Reuters India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi      India has placed the Ford Foundation, the U.S. philanthropy group, on a national security watchlist following complaints about its links to an activist seeking the conviction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for human rights abuses. The news was greeted with alarm by Indian and foreign non-government organisations and western donors, but hailed by many nationalist...

Baltimore protests lead to reporters robbed by youths, arrested and beaten by police

© Reuters / Sait Serkan Gurbuz      Journalists fell victim to the chaos in Baltimore, engulfed in protest since Freddie Gray's death in custody. While police beat up and detained reporters, a producer with RT's Ruptly was robbed by a street gang on Sunday. RT's Paulina Leonovich was surrounded by a group of aggressive youths while filming. They cursed and displayed obscene gestures into the camera. Then suddenly one of them...

Czech diplomat condones slaughter of Odessa innocents

© Odessa-media      To avoid civil unrest, a government must kill its own citizens and burn them near a road, said Vaclav Bartuska, the Czech Republic's energy envoy. Vaclav Bartuska, the Czech Republic's energy envoy, justified the monstrous slaughter of innocent people that took place in the Ukrainian city of Odessa on May 2, 2014. Last May, clashes broke out in Odessa between independence supporters on one side and pro-Kiev...

Hillary Clinton's foundation under scrutiny for hiding foreign donors on tax returns

© Reuters / Gary Cameron      The non-profit foundation run by presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and her family has acknowledged it's made "mistakes" amid increased public scrutiny concerning donations it's received from foreign entities. On the group's website on Sunday, Maura Pally, the acting CEO of the Clinton Foundation, said the organization has erred, but remains committed to transparency. "Yes, we made mistakes, as...

Over 130K march in LA marking 100th anniversary of Turkish genocide of Armenians

© Reuters/Kevork Djansezian      Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Los Angeles on Friday, marching through the city and onto the Turkish consulate. They were demanding that the killing of around 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 be recognized as genocide. More than 130,000 took part in the rally to mark the centennial of the massacre, according to estimates from the Los Angeles Police Department....

Chipotle bans GMO foods from its restaurants

© Reuters / Lucy Nicholson      Chipotle has become the first fast-food chain to ban genetically modified foods, known as GMOs, in all foods served in its restaurants. The Mexican fast-casual chain has removed non-organic soy and corn from its tortillas and other menu items. "Chipotle was the first national restaurant company to disclose the GMO ingredients in our food, and now we are the first to cook only with non-GMO ingredients,"...
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