statism

Report Finds “Probably Carcinogenic” Chemicals in All Municipal Water Samples Tested

"Chlorine and other water treatment chemicals, in addition to being somewhat toxic in and of themselves, react with ordinary organic particles in the water ( manure from livestock, dead animals, fallen leaves, etc.) to create hundreds of extremely toxic byproducts, which aren’t monitored or regulated at all. These toxic byproducts have been labeled 'disinfection byproducts,' or 'DBPs,' and there are 600 we know about and probably hundreds more that we don’t. Shockingly, raising concerns about the quality of your local drinking water without verifiable evidence of your claims may now be considered 'an act of terrorism.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReport Finds “Probably Carcinogenic” Chemicals in All Municipal Water Samples Tested

PayPal unfreezes $45,000 cancer donation after media investigation

"A $45,000 donation for an Auckland man's cancer treatment has finally been released by electronic payment firm PayPal. The company, which processes online transactions, put a hold on the donation after it was picked up by its money-laundering filters. The money was meant to fund private chemotherapy treatment using an expensive new drug for Justin Crockett, who has an aggressive brain tumour. Mrs Crockett rang PayPal without success and said she felt 'helpless' and 'stressed out'. 'I just think it's a bit appalling that they have that power to freeze it. It's not their money. People shouldn't be put through this stress.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPayPal unfreezes $45,000 cancer donation after media investigation

Nepal’s tourism bureau promises to keep ‘tighter control’ of Mount Everest climbs

"Nepal’s tourism ministry said Friday it plans to exercise tighter control of climbers scaling Mount Everest to make sure they keep the world’s highest peak clean and to prevent rows. The ministry will set up a 10-member team made up of government officials, veteran Nepalese climbers and security officers that will start work when the next climbing season opens in the spring. The team will ensure that climbers do not leave trash on the mountain, Purna Chandra Bhattarai, of the tourism ministry told AFP. Nepal has already made it mandatory for each expedition team to hire liaison officers from the ministry to ensure better relations with locals." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNepal’s tourism bureau promises to keep ‘tighter control’ of Mount Everest climbs

8 Chinese police officers fired for skinny dipping at tourist destination

"Eight Chinese policemen were sacked Monday after their naked swim at a tourist venue made waves online, state media said. The auxiliary police officers were dismissed for 'causing a negative impact on the image of the police', Xinhua news agency quoted the public security bureau of Lushan county in the central province of Henan as saying. It said the dismissals came after photos circulated online showing the eight skinny-dipping or standing on the shore, with their uniforms on the bank. Two police vehicles were parked nearby." Continue reading →

Continue Reading8 Chinese police officers fired for skinny dipping at tourist destination

Credit crisis begins to cripple Chinese cities

"Worried lenders in the informal sector raised interest rates for small and medium-size businesses, setting off a much broader wave of defaults in recent weeks, as owners found themselves unable to repay billions of dollars in bad debts, many of them handwritten and hard to enforce in court. State-owned banks have long been allowed to lend only at low, regulated rates barely above the inflation rate, with the total value of loans controlled by quarterly quotas. These loans go overwhelmingly to large state-owned businesses, government officials and politically connected individuals, who then relend the money at much higher interest rates." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCredit crisis begins to cripple Chinese cities

Pops In China’s Construction Bubble (But It’s Not Going To End)

"'Government and banking industry sources familiar with the situation' who 'declined to be named due to the highly sensitive nature of the matter,' have been spilling the beans to the South China Morning Post. The central government, they said, is considering an 'unofficial economic stimulus' to prop up key economies like Shanghai. On the quiet! For that purpose, Agricultural Bank of China, one of the state-owned megabanks, inked a deal to lend the city of Shanghai 250 billion yuan (about $41 billion) for a number of big construction projects, the sources said. The loan would amount to 12.5% of Shanghai’s 2012 GDP." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPops In China’s Construction Bubble (But It’s Not Going To End)

Top Chinese official warn of ‘empty cities’ emerging in China

"In a grim warning against rapid urbanisation in China, a top development official has said that reckless expansion of cities has turned many of them into ghost towns with no occupants in sight. Qiao Runling, deputy director of the China Centre for Urban Development, said local governments had relied on quick urbanisation to stimulate economic growth and generate fiscal revenue. State-run broad cater CCTV recently carried a report showing two such 'ghost cities' with massive apartment and commercial complexes with no occupants, leaving local governments in deep debts." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTop Chinese official warn of ‘empty cities’ emerging in China

Want to invest in Cuba? Learn how to wait

"The buildings, the roads, the power grid, the water system—all need updating after decades of neglect under a socialist regime. After CNBC spent a week in Cuba meeting with the leaders overseeing economic reforms, it's unclear whether authorities are ready to make the changes necessary to become attractive to investors on a large scale. One place where such investment is visible is in the oil and gas industry. Driving toward Varadero, a team from CNBC spotted at least one oil drill bearing Chinese flags. As for any kind of large-scale privatizations, investors will have to keep waiting." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWant to invest in Cuba? Learn how to wait

Venezuela struggles to attract tourists

"After neglecting the tourism sector for years, in favor of the lucrative oil industry — Venezuela has the world’s largest proven reserves — the government in Caracas is now working hard to attract visitors. However, the country suffers from outdated infrastructure — hotels, highways and domestic flights are all lacking — and wary foreigners who choose different destinations after seeing Venezuela’s high crime rates. Colombia welcomed 2.1 million visitors last year, 4.5 million people flocked to the Dominican Republic and its famous resorts and Brazil had 5.6 million visitors. In 2011, Cuba opened its doors to 2.6 million tourists." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingVenezuela struggles to attract tourists

India state moves to ban black magic after anti-superstition activist gunned down

"An Indian state government Wednesday approved legislation banning superstition and black magic, an official said, a day after a prominent champion of the bill was shot dead. 'An ordinance will be promulgated in the next two days,' the official said, declining to be named. Details were not yet available but an earlier draft proposed bans on beating a person to exorcise ghosts and on raising money by claiming to work miracles. Dabholkar, who founded the Committee for the Eradication of Blind Faith two decades ago, encountered opposition over the bill from Hindu nationalists who feared it could be used to curb religious freedoms." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia state moves to ban black magic after anti-superstition activist gunned down