On Tuesday, January 12, 2010; at approximately 4:53 PM EST, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Haiti region killing 212,069 people and injuring another 300,517. Just over 1.2 million people, or almost 14% of the population, are residing in sheltered areas. So how does one approach this apocalyptic event, offering humanitarian aid and support to this devastated nation? How does one implement a structure in the face of a devastating natural disaster and the ensuing chaos?

In 2005, the Emergency Relief Coordinator of World Health Organization (WHO) launched an independent humanitarian response review to assess humanitarian response capacities of several key international organizations.

The response review’s recommendation was the use of a “cluster” methodology or approach. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee, or IASC, designated global cluster leads in eleven areas of humanitarian activity assigning purview to several international organizations.

However paradoxical, even "silly", as it may seem, I believe that the present Big Freeze in Norway and elsewhere may actually be a sign of global warming. The reason for the severely cold winter is that the air flow pattern is not the normal one. Instead of the usual warmer air flowing from west to east, very cold air is gushing out of the North Pole region. This is reminiscent of the change of water flow pattern in the oceans exemplified by the El Nino effect which is connected with global warming.

Thus the real question is not "Why this cold winter - what happened to global warming?" but "Why this change in both the air and water flow patterns on the earth's surface?"

Out of every ten deaths worldwide, six are due to non-communicable conditions; three to communicable, reproductive or nutritional conditions; and one due to injuries. Many developing countries have mortality patterns that reflect high levels of infectious diseases and the risk of death during pregnancy and childbirth, in addition to the cancers, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases that account for most deaths in the developed world (World Health Statistics, 2009).

The World Health Organization, also known as W.H.O., is the authority for health issues within the United Nations system. The W.H.O. is responsible for providing leadership on global health issues, shaping health research, setting standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring/assessing health trends.

Noble Cyberdenizens, this is my second “Alternative Norwegian King’s New Year’s Message”.

As I said in my last New Year’s Message, every voice in Norway that does not kowtow to the diktat of an intolerant and racist state is quietly and discretely suppressed and nobody can do anything about it. Out of fear of making myself a fool on the web, I remained silent for a very long time, but of recent I have overcome my fear of looking ridiculous in cyber-public, and have decided to speak out openly and frequently against these discretely committed crimes by the “most civilized nation on earth” against innocent men, women, and children.

B.C.Cabinet Minister Colin Hansen who is responsible for the 2010 Winter Olympics assured us in July, 2006 there will be no cost overruns for security during the "Mega Event". Adding to his financial assessment was the fact that Athens and Turin, although spent more on security, used their budgets to build new police stations and upgrade equipment. 

He assured us this would not be the case in Vancouver, so the $175 million budgeted for "Security" would be enough. This figure was determined after round table discussions with delegates from future and potential host cities.

The Monitoring Committee of the Arabs in Israel declared a general strike for October 1, 2009, in memory of those killed in the demonstrations of October 2000.

The strike was explained as a response to a series of anti-Arab bills presented to the Knesset, above all the proposed Naqba Law; this would forbid ceremonies commemorating the catastrophe of the Palestinian people in 1948, which culminated in its expulsion from the land. If this bill passes, the State will punish all recipients of government funding that organize Naqba ceremonies.