Judi Lynn
Judi Lynn's JournalColombia police capture teenage assassin accused of more than 30 murders
Colombia police capture teenage assassin accused of more than 30 murders
written by Stephen Gill February 6, 2017
Colombian authorities on Friday captured a 17 year old boy who is suspected of murdering more that 30 people, reported local media.
The boy refereed to by police as “Frijolito” or “Little bean” was arrested after a four-month manhunt in Colombia’s third biggest city Cali.
Frijolito is said to be the head of a ruthless gang of assassins and drug traffickers whom have terrorized the southern city with police indicating that he started killing when he was 12 years old.
“He is only 17 years old and has committed more than 30 homicides,” Cali Police Chief Hugo Casas to the media.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-police-capture-teenage-assassin-accused-30-murders/
Finding a lost city, and also a flesh-eating illness, with Douglas Preston
Finding a lost city, and also a flesh-eating illness, with Douglas Preston
Abandoned cities, deadly snakes, and flesh-eating diseases
by Andrew Liptak@AndrewLiptak Feb 4, 2017, 10:00am EST
Dave Yoder / National Geographic Magazine
In January, author Douglas Preston released his latest book, The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story. In 2015, Preston had been part of an expedition to Honduras that located an unexplored city deep in the rain forests of the country, one that belonged to an as-of-yet unknown civilization.
The book deals with the history of efforts to explore the legendary “White City,” and more recent efforts from archeologists to track down its location. The site had first been located in 2012 when archeologists used Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) surveys to explore the dense jungle. The system works by using lasers to calculate distances: it’s been used in everything self-driving cars to astronauts mapping the Moon. In recent years, archeologists have begun using the technology to survey archeological sites from planes, often discovering structures that can’t be seen from the ground.
When Preston accompanied a team of archeologists to explore the city on foot, they found an undisturbed set of ruins overrun by the forest, likely untouched since it was abandoned. The cities belonged to a previously unknown civilization, and the reasons for its collapse aren’t known, although Preston speculates that the apocalyptic pandemics could have played a role.
The site was not without dangers: the city is located in a region controlled by drug cartels, while deadly snakes and forest creatures roam the jungle. The peril continued even after they departed: the team discovered that while on site, they had been infected by a flesh-eating parasite.
More:
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/4/14502606/the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god-interview-honduras-civilization
Peru to seek arrest of ex president Toledo in mega graft inquiry
Sat Feb 4, 2017 | 11:25am EST
Peru to seek arrest of ex president Toledo in mega graft inquiry
Feb 4 Prosecutors in Peru were preparing to request the arrest of former president Alejandro Toledo on Saturday after uncovering evidence that implicates him in $20 million in bribes that the Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht has acknowledged distributing to win a contract during his government, a source said.
Authorities searched a house owned by Toledo in Lima early on Saturday, the attorney general's office said on Twitter without providing additional details.
A source in the attorney general's office who was not authorized to make public comments said the raid follows the detection of $11 million transferred to an associate of Toledo that prosecutors believe is part of $20 million in bribes that Odebrecht has said it gave to help secure an infrastructure contract during his 2001-2006 term.
. . .
Peru already has imprisoned one of its former presidents for graft - ex-authoritarian leader Alberto Fujimori, who is serving a 25-year sentence for convictions that include human rights abuses.
More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/peru-toledo-idUSL1N1FP0BC?rpc=401&
Dole and Del Monte also facing crimes against humanity charges for financing death squads in Colombi
Dole and Del Monte also facing crimes against humanity charges for financing death squads in Colombia: report
written by Adriaan Alsema February 4, 2017
Colombia’s prosecution is set to charge almost 200 companies, including multinationals like Dole and Del Monte, for financing death squads in the banana-growing region of the country, according to Blu Radio.
The radio station reported contents of the alleged set of indictments a day after the country’s chief prosecutor announced his office would charge companies for crimes against humanity for their alleged voluntary support for the paramilitary death squads.
Among the companies facing crimes against humanity charges is Chiquita’s subsidiary.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/dole-belmonte-also-accused-crimes-humanity-financing-banana-death-squads-colombia-report/
LBN:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141691093
The Wife of Brazilian Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Marisa Leticia, Dies
The Wife of Brazilian Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Marisa Leticia, Dies
02/03/2017 - 19H54
MARINA DIAS
FROM BRASÍLIA
MONICA BÉRGAMO
FROM SÃO PAULO
The former first lady Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva, 66, died on Friday (03) victim of complications caused by a strokes.
According to a person very close to Lula's family, there has been an increase in Marisa's cerebral pressure and also pressure on a cerebral edema that she has as a consequence of a hemorrhagic stroke that she suffered a week ago.
The family doctor, cardiologist Robert kafil Filho, told journalists last night that the prognosis for the former first lady is "irreversible". The former president's family on Thusday morning (the 2nd) authorized the procedures for donating her organs.
Marisa Letícia has been under treatment at the Sírio-Libanês hospital in São Paulo since January 24th, when she suffered a cerebral vascular event.
On Monday (the 30th), an exam detected the occurrence of "deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs".
More:
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2017/02/1855228-the-wife-of-brazilian-former-president-luiz-inacio-lula-da-silva-marisa-leticia-dies.shtml
[center] 
Marisa, helping her husband, when he strugged with a brain tumor, slightly before the time Paraguay's President Fernando Lugo also was afflicted by the same disease, and before the time Dilma Rousseff, herself, also became ill with the same disease.
Brazil's No.1 Amazon Enemy Wants Multinational Land Takeover
Brazil's No.1 Amazon Enemy Wants Multinational Land Takeover
Brazil's interim President Michel Temer (R) talks with his Agriculture Minister Blairo
Maggi during a Global Agribusiness Forum in Sao Paulo, Brazil July 4 2016.
| Photo: Reuters
Published 2 February 2017 (5 hours 49 minutes ago)
In 2005, Greenpeace awarded the current agriculture minister their Golden Chainsaw award, branding him the "person who most contributed to Amazon destruction."
Brazil could pass a law by the end of June to lift limits on foreign purchases of agricultural land, the Agriculture Minister said in an interview.
The bill, which still has to go before Congress, would end an effective ban on major foreign ownership of agricultural land imposed in 2010 under leftist former-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
The move is part of a series of neoliberal measures imposed by the government of President Michel Temer, which since coming to power in August 2016 has sought to rapidly dismantle the gains of subsequent Workers’ Party, or PT, governments.
More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Brazils-No.1-Amazon-Enemy-Wants-Multinational-Land-Takeover--20170202-0040.html
Regional leaders console Brazil's ex-President Lula
Regional leaders console Brazil's ex-President Lula
1 hour ago
From the section Latin America & Caribbean Related Topics
Maria Leticia was Lula's second wife and they have been married for 43 years
Regional leaders have sent their condolences to Brazil's ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
His wife of 43 years, Maria Leticia da Silva, has been pronounced brain-dead a week after she was taken to hospital with a brain haemorrhage.
Several Latin American presidents have sent messages and there was a minute's silence in Brazil's Congress.
Maria Leticia had helped Lula found the Worker's Party and is said to have made its first flag.
More:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38850880
Honduras elites blamed for violence against environmental activists
After the murder of at least 123 activists since 2009 military coup, the Global Witness group points to involvement of politicians and business moguls
Nina Lakhani
Tuesday 31 January 2017 10.41 EST
High-ranking politicians and business tycoons are implicated in a wave of violence against environmental activists in Honduras, according to an investigation by the anti-corruption group Global Witness, which says the country’s elites are using criminal methods to terrorize communities with impunity.
At least 123 land and environmental activists have been murdered in Honduras since a military coup d’état forced out the populist president Manuel Zelaya; many of the victims have been members of indigenous and rural communities opposing mega-projects on their territories.
. . .
One of the most explosive allegations is of a conflict of interest for Gladis Aurora López, leader of the ruling National party and vice-president of congress.
López’s husband controls the Los Encinos hydroelectric project in western Honduras, where three indigenous activists have been tortured and murdered, and two pregnant women were severely beaten by a group of civilians and state forces, causing one woman to have a miscarriage.
. . .
Despite growing international outrage about the violence, Honduras still receives millions of dollars of US aid.
“As Honduras’ biggest aid donor, the US should help bring an end to the bloody crackdown on Honduras’ rural population. Instead it is bankrolling Honduran state forces, which are behind some of the worst attacks,” said Kyte.
. . .
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/31/honduras-environmental-activists-global-witness-violence-berta-caceres
Massive Stream of Lava Plunges into Sea in Stunning New Video
By Tia Ghose, Senior Writer | January 31, 2017 04:27pm ET
- video -
A stunning new video has captured a huge fire hose of lava streaming into the ocean at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
The stream of lava is currently pouring into the ocean from a sea cliff near Kamokuna on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). When this massive lava chute hits the cool seawater below, the result is explosive steam.
Striking images show what looks like a giant bucket of red paint pouring into the ocean, surrounded by plumes of steam, ash, debris and gas. The ensuing steam explosions, which occurred Jan. 28 and Jan. 29, have tossed molten lava high up into the air, with some bits of molten rock catapulted to twice the height of the sea cliff.
Yesterday (Jan. 30), a crack opened in the sea cliff above the lava tube which feeds the new lava stream. Volcanologists flying over the site used a special thermal-imaging camera to reveal the crack, which is now a scorching 428 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius), according to the USGS. On Jan. 28, volcanologists gingerly stepped onto the unstable surface to measure the crack, and found that it is 11.8 inches (30 centimeters) wide and cuts deeply into the new solidified lava laid down on the older sea cliff. This hot crack could be a sign that the entire sea cliff could come tumbling down, according to the USGS.
More:
http://www.livescience.com/57701-lava-firehose-steams-into-ocean.html?utm_source=notification
NASA just captured some of the most mind-blowing images of Saturn's icy rings ever
Before the final plunge.
PETER DOCKRILL 31 JAN 2017
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured some of the closest-ever views of Saturn's rings, with new images revealing unprecedented levels of detail in the massive discs of icy particles orbiting the planet.
The new perspectives come courtesy of Cassini's "ring-grazing" mission phase, where the probe is making a series of orbital dives past the outer edge of Saturn's main ring system. These loops will be some of Cassini's last, with the almost 20-year-old spacecraft soon due to sacrifice itself, plunging into the gas giant this September.
"How fitting it is that we should go out with the best views of Saturn's rings we've ever collected," says Cassini Imaging Team Lead Carolyn Porco from the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
Cassini's ring-grazing dives began in November last year, and the space probe is about halfway through its final 20 orbits.
More:
http://www.sciencealert.com/cassini-just-captured-some-of-the-most-mind-blowing-images-of-saturn-s-icy-rings-ever
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