Icetruck

Lebanese premier resigns, plunging nation into uncertainty

Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri resigned from his post in a televised address from the Saudi capital Saturday, accusing Hezbollah of taking the country hostage, in a surprise move that plunged the nation into uncertainty amid heightened regional tensions.

In his resignation speech, Hariri fired a vicious tirade against Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah group for what he said was their meddling in Arab affairs and said that "Iran's arms in the region will be cut off."

"The evil that Iran spreads in the region will backfire on it," Hariri said, accusing Tehran of spreading chaos, strife and destruction throughout the region.

Hariri was appointed prime minister in late 2016 and headed a 30-member coalition government that included members of the Shiite militant Hezbollah. But it's been an uneasy partnership between Hariri, who heads a Sunni-led camp loyal to Saudi Arabia, and Hezbollah, which represents a camp loyal to Shiite Iran. President Michel Aoun, who was elected in October 2016 after more than a two-year presidential vacuum, is a close ally of Hezbollah.

As U.S. and Saudi Arabia sought ways to curb Iran's growing influence in the region, Hariri has come under pressure to distance himself from the militant group which has sent thousands of troops to neighboring Syria to shore up President Bashar Assad's forces.

It was not immediately clear whether Hariri intended to return to Lebanon. In a statement, the presidential office said Aoun was informed by Hariri in a phone call of his resignation, adding that the president now awaits Hariri's return to clarify the circumstances of his resignation and proceed accordingly.

Hariri's bombshell resignation — even close aides seemed unaware of the announcement — ushers in a stage of deep uncertainty and potential instability. It also throws into doubt parliamentary elections slated for early next year which have been repeatedly delayed.

It comes amid a sharp escalation in Saudi rhetoric against its regional archrival Iran and puts Lebanon at the center of that rivalry.

Hazem al-Amin, a Lebanese writer who follows regional affairs, said Hariri's resignation is "completely a Saudi step" that comes in the context of an international and regional atmosphere against Hezbollah and against Iranian influence in the region.

"Lebanon is a fragile country. This confrontation (between Saudi Arabia and Iran) is more violent than Lebanon can stand up to," he said, warning of economic and security ramifications.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said the resignation is a plot by the U.S., Israel and the Saudis to foment tensions in Lebanon and the region, the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency reported.

Ghasemi dismissed Hariri's "baseless accusations," which he said indicate that "a new scenario" for the region was being drawn.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hariri's resignation and comments "are a wake-up call to the international community to take action against the Iranian aggression that is trying to turn Syria into Lebanon 2."

"This aggression endangers not only Israel but the entire Middle East. The international community needs to come together and stand against this aggression," he said.

Hariri's resignation was unprecedented in the way it was announced, in a televised address from an undisclosed location in Riyadh. In his speech, Hariri suggested he feared for his life and said the climate in the country is similar to the one that existed before his father, the late prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005.

Several Hezbollah members are being tried in absentia for the killing by a U.N.-backed tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. Hezbollah denies any involvement.

Hariri said Hezbollah's policies have put Lebanon "in the eye of the storm." His attacks on Hezbollah come on the heels of new U.S. sanctions on the group that many fear will impact negatively on the Lebanese economy. Hariri has frequently called on the group to withdraw its fighters from Syria.

"I declare my resignation from the premiership of the Lebanese government, with the certainty that the will of the Lebanese is strong," Hariri said.

"When I took office, I promised you that I would seek to unite the Lebanese and end political division… But unfortunately, this pushed Iran and its allies to more interference in our internal affairs," he said.

In Beirut's Tarik al-Jadideh neighborhood, a predominantly Sunni neighborhood supportive of Hariri, residents described the shock resignation as a positive step.

"Prime Minister Hariri has reached the stage where he is not able anymore to bear the pressure on Lebanon by Arab nations, due to the intervention of Iran," said Mohyeddine Awwad, sitting in a cafe where posters of Hariri hung.

Earlier this week, Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan sharply criticized Hezbollah, calling for its "toppling" and promising "astonishing developments" in the coming days during an interview with the Lebanese TV station MTV.

Al-Sabhan met with Hariri in Saudi Arabia when the now resigned prime minister was visiting earlier this week. Hariri abruptly returned to the kingdom again on Friday after a meeting in Beirut with Ali-Akbar Velayati, foreign adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader.

In tweets after meeting Hariri, al-Sabhan criticized the Lebanese government for tolerating Hezbollah's criticism of the kingdom.

Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East, said that with the Syrian war calming down, Hariri's move could be a message from Saudi Arabia to Iran that it "can't have it all."

"So Lebanon is back on the table as a stage for the next tug of war," she said.

———

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut, Nasser Kariri in Tehran and Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

ANALYSIS: Iran's moderates worry about Trump's impact on 38th anniversary of US embassy takeover

President Donald Trump’s hostile tone toward Iran and the Iranian nuclear deal could be helping to bolster Tehran’s anti-American hardliners, moderates in the country worry.

The concern among Iran’s middle-class moderates is notable considering that today marks the 38th anniversary of the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran by a group of American students, which began a 444-day hostage crisis in which 58 Americans were held captive.

The anniversary is celebrated each year by those in Iran who want to continue a hard line against the U.S.

And, reflecting that anti-American view, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei at an event earlier this week thousands of students implicitly criticized Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s agreeing to the nuclear deal with the West.

“Americans show no mercy even toward those who have pinned their hopes on them,” Khamenei said.

The past is present

Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

During the lead-up to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015, many reformists in Iran who supported such a deal compared the man heading their negotiating team, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, with a figure from their country’s past.

Mohammad Mosaddegh was the democratically elected prime minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953, when his government was overthrown in a U.S.-supported coup that led to the strengthening of power of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Iran’s reformists saw Zarif as advocating for the nation’s interests against big international powers in the same way as Mosaddegh had done before the coup.

But hardliners in Iran like neither Mosaddegh, whom they accuse of not cooperating with religious leaders at the time, nor Zarif, whom they say compromised the country’s nuclear rights.

‘Puppets, pushovers and yes-men’

Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

Trump’s harsh rhetoric about the Iran deal is leading hardliners in Tehran to warn of a U.S. plan for regime change in their country.

“They want puppets, pushovers and yes-men, so that they may rule the important and profitable country of Iran,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in the meeting with the students, according to his official website. Iranians suffered during the years of sanctions imposed by the West prior to the nuclear deal, which lifted the economic penalties in exchange for the Tehran government’s stopping its nuclear program. But Trump’s threat that the U.S. could pull out of the nuclear agreement worries Iran’s moderates and reformists for more than economic reasons.

They are alarmed that the American president’s warnings give the country’s anti-Western extremists more political power in domestic affairs.

These are the same supporters of reform who just months ago re-elected President Hassan Rouhani with the hope that he will help expand social and political freedom in the nation.

Vahid Salemi/AP

To them, the danger from Trump is that reformers like Rouhani will be defeated in the future in favor of hardliners like former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The peaceful voice of the majority in Iran was reflected in their election vote in May. But today the West will hear more from the hardliners shouting anti-American slogans and burning U.S. flags in the streets.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

AP Explains: What is behind the Lebanese PM's resignation

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's bombshell resignation in a televised speech from Saudi Arabia took the nation by surprise Saturday.

In his announcement, Hariri accused Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, of holding Lebanon hostage and destabilizing the Arab region.

But what is behind his resignation and what does it mean for Lebanon?

THE BACKGROUND

Hariri became prime minister in late 2016 in a coalition government that included the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

It has been an uneasy partnership between Hariri, a Sunni Muslim aligned with Saudi Arabia, and Hezbollah, Iran's Shiite proxy in Lebanon, which has sent thousands of its fighters to shore up President Bashar Assad's forces in Syria's civil war.

As Hezbollah and Iranian-backed Syrian troops made successive military victories, Hariri came under pressure from Washington and Riyadh to distance himself from the group.

In recent days, Lebanese government ministers have bickered publicly over sending an ambassador to Damascus and repatriation plans for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Officials denied the tension threatened the unity government.

Then suddenly, Hariri flew to Saudi Arabia earlier this week in a previously unannounced trip. He flew again to Riyadh Friday.

It is not clear what exactly prompted his shock resignation — unprecedented in the way it was announced in a televised address from an undisclosed location in Riyadh. Even close aides seemed not to know it was coming.

In his speech, Hariri said he feared for his life, suggesting he may not be coming home soon. Hariri was prime minister from 2009 until 2011, when Hezbollah ousted him from office. He had until last year lived in self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia and France.

SAUDI IRAN RIVALRY

Hariri's resignation is a reflection of the growing power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the region. The Iran-Saudi rivalry is rooted in both countries' claim to represent different strands of Islam, Shiite and Sunni, a more than thousand-year-old dispute. Iran's Islamic revolution in 1979 unsettled the ultraconservative Sunni Kingdom. But the explosive modern race grew with Iran's rising influence in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, where Tehran is supporting various players.

Hezbollah, one of Tehran's most reliable partners, has been a key player in the wars in Syria and Yemen, undermining Saudi clout in Syria, and reaching the kingdom's borders by supporting Yemen's anti-Saudi rebels.

With the ascension of the ambitious firebrand Mohammed Bin Salman to crown prince in Saudi Arabia, the rivalry with Tehran took a sharper turn. In one interview, he threatened to take the war to Iran.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

Hariri's resignation has to be accepted by President Michel Aoun, a formality. It effectively shatters the national unity government and plunges the country into uncertainty and potentially a prolonged period of political paralysis.

Aoun must appoint a new prime minister, but it will be difficult to find a consensual Sunni figure able to form another coalition government. According to Lebanon's sectarian-based power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Muslim Sunni and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim.

A new government that leans further toward Hezbollah would risk isolating the country and subjecting it to U.S. sanctions.

POTENTIAL INSTABILITY

Already, Lebanon's Hezbollah has been targeted by U.S. sanctions aimed to block the flow of money to the group, a move that threatened to cause major damage to the country's solid banking sector if passed into law. Washington considers Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization and U.S. lawmakers called it Iran's leading "terrorist proxy."

With Israel, Saudi Arabia and the U.S. seeing eye to eye on the need to stem Iran's growing clout, many fear Lebanon may be the place for a showdown with Iran's ally, Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah have fought a number of wars, the last of which ended in a stalemate in 2006. Israel has recently said it will not tolerate an Iranian presence in Syria, spearheaded by Hezbollah, which has also established a presence near the Syria-Israel border.

———

Associated Press writer Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

“Figure out what you’re good at and start helping other people with it; give it away. Pay it forward. Karma sort of works because people are very consistent. On a long enough timescale, you will attract what you project.” – Naval Ravikant

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably been wronged at some point in your life. A friend did you dirty, or an ex-lover caused you a lot of pain and heartbreak. Most people would feel the need to seek revenge against the person that harmed them or did them wrong in some way.

But a better option, is letting karma do all the work. Karma is an intense force in the universe, and strong people let karma do their dirty work for them. Because people who have it coming will always get their karmic retribution. But why would someone so strong simply do nothing?

Here Are 5 Reasons Strong People Let Karma Take Over

Revenge doesn’t feel good

It might feel like it does in the moment, or just before … but revenge doesn’t feel all that great. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” And it’s true. According to author and director/owner of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Center Karyn Hall, Ph.D., “Researchers and theorists believe that revenge is a form of establishing justice and that the threat of revenge may serve as a form of protection, a kind of enforcement of social cooperation.”

For a brief moment you’ll feel better, but it doesn’t stop or erase what has happened to you. In fact, strong people often feel more deeply than others. And revenge may only set off a strong person’s sympathy or empathy for the person they got revenge against. And that’s only going to make them feel worse. So, in the end, seeking revenge against someone just isn’t worth it. Letting karma do all the work, however, is.

It can get you in trouble

If your partner cheated on you, the tempting thing to do is give them the Carrie Underwood treatment and key their car. Sure, it’ll feel great, but … Carrie Underwood’s song doesn’t talk about the real, tangible consequences of letting your emotions seek out revenge for you.

There’s no reason to get your hands dirty. Karma will make sure that your ex partner’s car gets rear-ended, or they get a flat tire on the way to an extremely important job interview or meeting. Stay out of trouble and let karma do the rest for you.

You can’t face everyone

If we were to try and seek revenge against every person who had ever wronged us, we would be spending more time doing that than moving on with our lives! And that’s not good. “Revenge is the desire to get even when someone does you wrong. It’s natural to feel angry… However, revenge reduces you to your worst self, puts you on the same level with those spiteful people we claim to abhor,” says Judith Orloff, M.D., author of The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People.

A strong person knows when to walk away, even if it’s frustrating at first. But a strong person also knows that karma will come back around to whoever has done them wrong. Moving forward and healing from a bad situation is always the better option than trying to seek revenge against another person. After all, karma doesn’t have a time limit. Karma will be able to go down the list of people who have wronged you – one by one.

Karma comes back around

You might not want to seek revenge against someone who’s harmed you because karma … will come back and bite you in the butt, too! Strong people know this. They know that even if the other person deserves it, it isn’t worth having karma come after them, too. Even if it’s tempting to seek revenge against them, it isn’t worth putting that bad energy into the universe. This strength in the universe is incredibly powerful. There’s no need to get on karma’s bad side. Just hold your head up and walk away.

Remember, “what goes around, comes around.”

The best karma is success

Nothing is going to get under someone’s skin like seeing you succeed, especially if they did everything in their power to try and make that not happen. A strong person knows that the best karma in the world is simply picking yourself up and moving forward with your life. Healing, succeeding and reaching all of your goals is going to be the most amazing karma. Karma isn’t just for bad people, either. While the person who harmed you is going to be stuck where they are, karma has given you that extra boost you need to succeed.

Final thoughts

Some people aren’t big believers in karma, and that’s okay. Even if you don’t believe that karma is going to come and get the people who wronged you, it’s still a good practice to keep your head up high and focus on succeeding rather than trying to get revenge. You’re not going to be able to control what another person does, but you’ll always be able to control yourself. There is no better revenge than succeeding in the face of people who wanted you to fail.

References:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pieces-mind/201309/revenge-will-you-feel-better
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-freedom/201109/the-power-forgiveness-why-revenge-doesnt-work

The post 5 Reasons Strong People Let Karma Do Their Dirty Work appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.

Source – powerofpositivity.com

Philippines prison: Two dead in riot over spilt water

A riot at an overcrowded prison in the Philippines that killed two inmates and injured at least 10 others has been attributed by officials to an overturned bucket of water.

Authorities in charge of the Quezon City jail outside Manila said the spill led to a fight between two gangs.

It soon escalated into a battle fought with rocks and chairs.

The prison holds more than 3,400 inmates in a space built for 800 – a result of the country's war on drugs.

Officials say the violence began when members of one gang were rushing to carry a prisoner to the prison's health clinic while he was suffering a seizure.

In their haste, they kicked over a bucket of water onto the sleeping members of a rival gang,

The ensuing riot resulted in the death of one of the prisoners caught up in the fighting and killed the man having the seizure.

Quezon City jail is overcrowded largely because of President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial anti-drugs campaign, which has led to thousands of people being killed.

Prisoners are squeezed in like sardines, critics say, and have to take turns sleeping in whatever open spaces are available – whether a staircase or an open-air basketball court.

Human Rights Watch has condemned jail conditions, describing them as hell-like.

Authorities have pledged to construct new facilities at the site to reduce overcrowding but they have cautioned that it cannot be done overnight.

Philippines jails were ranked the third most congested in the world even before Mr Duterte assumed power last year.

Source – bbc.com

Red Cross: $6 million for Ebola fight stolen through fraud

Fraud by Red Cross workers and others wasted at least $6 million meant to fight the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the organization confirmed Saturday.

The revelations follow an internal investigation of how the organization handled more than $124 million during the 2014-2016 epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

The disease erupted in Guinea and quickly spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. The international aid response was initially slow, and money once it arrived was often disbursed quickly in the rush to purchase supplies and get aid workers into the field.

As much as $2.13 million disappeared as the result of "likely collusion" between Red Cross staff and employees at a Sierra Leonean bank, the investigation found. It is believed that the money was lost when they improperly fixed the exchange rate at the height of the epidemic.

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was "outraged" by what it had uncovered, and was strengthening its efforts to fight corruption, including introducing cash spending limits in "high-risk settings." It also plans to send trained auditors along with emergency operations teams. Other measures will include additional staff training and "the establishment of a dedicated and independent internal investigation function."

"These cases must not in any way diminish the tremendous courage and dedication of thousands of volunteers and staff during the Ebola response. They played a critical and widely recognized role in containing and ending the outbreak, and preventing further spread of the Ebola virus internationally," said Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, the IFRC under secretary general for partnerships.

"We are pursuing every possible avenue to reclaim all funds that have been misappropriated, diverted, or otherwise illegally taken. This includes working with authorities in affected countries and elsewhere as appropriate."

The findings of the internal investigation were first posted online Oct. 20 but were not widely publicized until Friday. The IFRC confirmed the findings Saturday and said it was working with Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission to "investigate and legally pursue any persons involved."

IFRC also revealed evidence of fraud in the two other hardest-hit countries during the Ebola crisis.

In Liberia, investigators found "evidence of fraud related to inflated prices of relief items, payroll and payment of volunteer incentives." IFRC estimated the loss at $2.7 million.

And in Guinea, at least $1.17 million disappeared because of fraudulent billing practices by a customs clearance service provider. Two other investigations there are pending, IFRC said.

———

Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten in Geneva contributed.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness … Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” ~ Max Planck

The “mystery” of meditation

The word meditation still evokes feelings of uncertainty and discomfort for some.

This makes sense, as most of Western civilization hasn’t been exposed to the practice. Those who have either: (a) think of meditation as “strange,” (b) aren’t interested, or (c) have seen big changes in their lives.

To be clear, meditation is not a religious practice.

Once again, meditation is not a religious practice.

While it’s true that many practicing Buddhists engage in meditation, the actions of meditation are fundamentally non-religious.

To digress for a moment, Buddhism was never intended to be a religion either. Siddhartha Gautama, referred to as The Buddha, told his followers: “Be your own lamp, seek no other refuge but yourself, Let truth be your guide.”

To meditate, for all intents and purposes, is to focus on the breath. Nothing more and nothing less. Thoughts will come. Your job is to allow such thoughts. When you notice your mind wandering, gently bring your attention back to the breath. Gentle discipline is the foundation of meditative practice.

Harvard goes to the Himalayas

Dr. Herbert Benson, Professor of Medicine at Harvard University, embarked on a remote trip to the Himalayan mountains. His task: study monks living in a remote monastery.

“Buddhists believe the reality we live in is not the ultimate one,” Benson explains. “There’s another reality we can tap into that’s unaffected by our emotions, by our everyday world.”

Let’s pause and consider the above quote.

Another reality that’s unaffected by emotions? Think about the potential implications should this notion prove right.

What is the leading cause of death in the world? Stress.

The HeartMD Institute defines stress as follows:

“(The) measure of your mental and physical resistance to circumstances beyond your control … threats, demands, or changes to which you attach (and) with which you may struggle or feel uncertainty.”

Dr. Stephen Sinatra, the founder of the HeartMD Institute, says “Acute stress is the leading cause of sudden death, especially in young healthy people with no evidence of coronary disease.”

Chronic stress causes too many health conditions to count.

Recognizing the stakes, it’s quite clear why Dr. Benson decided to make that dangerous journey into the mountains.

What did Benson discover?

Dr. Benson wanted to know if the near-superhuman abilities reported of the monks were valid. He is especially interested in the claim that the monks could voluntarily raise their own body temperature – once considered an impossibility by many scientists.

The monks used a Tibetan meditation technique called Tummo (pronounced ‘toom-oh’), otherwise known as the “Inner Fire Meditation.”

Following the monks Tummo practice, Benson and his colleagues measured the monks body temperature. It had risen by up to 17 degrees.

In a follow-up experiment, according to Harvard University, “Just using the power of their minds, the monks produced enough body heat to dry wet sheets placed on them as they relaxed in chilly rooms.”

What else can meditation do?

Dr. Benson has published numerous books and scientific publications on his findings. For his breakthrough work, he was named the Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI), and Mind-Body Medicine Professor at Harvard Medical School – a position that Harvard created.

Here’s are a few “hidden” powers of mindfulness or meditation, cited by Dr. Benson:

1. Induces deep relaxation

Dr. Benson calls the Relaxation Response “an innate or embedded response” and “opposite to the fight-or-flight (stress) response.”

The RR is quite simple:

Sit in a comfortable position, at ease, without movement, and breathe slowly and deeply. Each time your breath is coming out, say out loud a chosen thought, word or phrase. Do this for five minutes.

Secular words include: peace, love, kindness, gentleness, truth.

If you’re of a certain faith, you can choose a textual passage or name associated with your beliefs. The Relaxation Response has demonstrated some incredible benefits, as you will see.

2. Fights disease

Dr. Benson states “We found a range of disease-fighting genes were active in the relaxation practitioners that were not active in the control group.”

Again, this is a groundbreaking discovery. Our genetics were once thought to be unchangeable – that we were stuck with them. This is not the case.

The Willpower Institute, which thoroughly reviewed Dr. Benson’s work, writes:

“…the benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with regular practice … the more people practiced relaxation methods such as meditation or deep breathing, the greater their chances of remaining free of arthritis and joint pain with stronger immunity, healthier hormone levels, and lower blood pressure.”

3. Balances emotions

Emotional balance is a state where one is free of “neurotic behavior,” including anxiety and depression.

It is important to remember that being completely free from “neuroses” is difficult, especially in today’s 24/7, “always on” society. However, with regular meditative practice, numerous individuals have fully recovered from mental health illnesses.

Proper diaphragmic breathing, or “belly breathing,” stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The PNS counteracts the “fight or flight” mechanism, which is crucial for stress reduction.

4. Promotes tranquility

Of all the benefits of meditation, tranquility may be the most pleasant and welcome.

This isn’t to say that meditators don’t experience stress and negative emotions – they most certainly do. However, the meditative mind doesn’t hold onto the negative emotions for nearly as long as the “normal” mind.

The importance of this calming effect cannot be overstated. Fewer and shorter negative emotions mean less stress, better health, and a much, much more positive mindset.

5. Improves efficiency and productivity

“Productivity” and “efficiency.” Eck.

Once you begin practicing meditation, you will assuredly be more productive and efficient. However, you will not be another stress-absorbing workhorse that today’s corporate culture loves to promote.

Instead, you’ll approach work with a Zen-like focus. And you won’t feel as if some jockey is whipping you while you sprint to the finish line.

Who wouldn’t love that?!

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

Sources:
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/03/01/harvard-goes-to-the- himalayas-monks-with-superhuman-abilities-show-scientists-what-we-can-all-do/
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2002/04/meditation-dramatically- changes-body-temperatures/
https://www.bensonhenryinstitute.org/about-us-dr-herbert-benson/
https://heartmdinstitute.com/stress-relief/what-stress-can-do-to-your-body/
https://www.willpowerinstitute.com/
https://www.willpowerinstitute.com/7-health-benefits-of-meditation/

The post Harvard Professor Explains What Happens To Your Body When You Meditate Every Day appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.

Source – powerofpositivity.com

China brings anthem disrespect laws to Hong Kong

Hong Kong residents who boo the Chinese national anthem might soon face up to three years in prison.

China's parliament, the National People's Congress, is extending a law on disrespecting the anthem to semi-autonomous Hong Kong and Macau.

Hong Kong's government, dominated by Beijing loyalists, has begun including it in local legislation.

The anthem has been booed at recent football fixtures in Hong Kong, where anti-Beijing sentiment has been rising.

Democracy activists fear the new law could be used to undermine freedom of expression in the territory, which enjoys freedoms not seen on the mainland.

Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, has a separate legal system so it is too early to say whether the punishment for mocking the anthem will be as severe as the current Chinese law, the BBC's Juliana Liu in Hong Kong says.

The new law, enacted by China in September, is expected to pass Hong Kong's legislature without difficulty.

Protesters concerned about what they see as Beijing's increasing control over the territory, have been booing the anthem since 2015, notably at a World Cup qualifier against Qatar.

In October, Hong Kong fans turned their backs as the anthem was played during at a qualifier against Malaysia and some spectators jeered and made rude gestures before a friendly match against Laos.

Jeering the anthem is the latest salvo in a series of protests that grabbed international attention in 2014 when major thoroughfares in Hong Kong were occupied for weeks in a push for full democracy.

Hong Kong, formerly a British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under an agreement which is supposed to guarantee the territory's people basic rights.

Source – bbc.com

Syria government forces close in on IS border town

Syrian pro-government forces backed by Russian airpower are advancing rapidly towards a border town still held by the Islamic State (IS) group.

A day after taking full control of the city of Deir al-Zour, the Syrian military is mounting an offensive to recapture the town of Albu Kamal.

Reports suggest IS fighters fled there from the Iraqi side of the border.

An Iraqi Shia Muslim militia has said it will cross into Syria to join the assault on Albu Kamal.

It is a sign of how dramatically IS territory has shrunk in the past few weeks that this town on the border with Iraq appears to be one of the jihadists' last redoubts, the BBC's Sebastian Usher reports.

It is unclear how much co-ordination there could be between Iraqi and Syrian pro-government forces but the aim appears to be to deny IS fighters – and presumably their surviving commanders – the chance of escaping into the remote desert wastes as their self-declared caliphate crumbles into dust, our Arab affairs editor adds.

Interactive Slide the button to see how the area IS controls has changed since 2015

2017

2015

• What will happen in Syria following IS defeats?

Dangerous encounters

By Jonathan Marcus, BBC diplomatic correspondent

Russia, after Iran, is the other great winner from the Syrian conflict, reviving its role in the region, securing important military bases, and making itself a key diplomatic player.

It wants to "solve" Syria on its terms and with its favoured actors ending up the victors and it seems to be well on the way to achieving this goal.

But the growing proximity of Russian and Iranian-backed pro-regime forces and those backed by the US raises the possibility of some dangerous encounters. The US and Russia can agree on the need to defeat IS but on little else. Moscow's "side" has the military and diplomatic advantage on the ground.

Will the US seek to bolster its position in Syria, perhaps as part of a broader policy to "roll back" Iranian influence, as US conservatives are hoping? This may be easier said than done and might require many more resources and boots on the ground than the Trump administration is prepared to put in harm's way.

Full analysis

On Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that the Iraqi border town of al-Qaim, close to Albu Kamal, had been recaptured by government forces.

The same day, the Syrian government said it had retaken Deir al-Zour, capital of the region of the same name in which Albu Kamal is located.

Russia released video of bombers in action and missiles being launched from a submarine in strikes targeting the Albu Kamal area.

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A spokesman for the Kataib Hezbollah militia, an Iranian-backed Iraqi group fighting alongside the Iraqi army against IS, told Lebanese TV the group would join the fight for the town across the border.

"Albu Kamal is in missile range of the Iraqi forces in al-Qaim," Jaafar Hussaini was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

"The presence of our forces on the border with Albu Kamal means there will be a new front in the confrontation with Daesh [another name for IS]."

IS, a Sunni Muslim jihadist group, overran swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in 2014 and enforced its rule through ruthless suppression of its enemies, earning international condemnation for its cruelty.

It has also claimed responsibility for numerous attacks outside he region, notably the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt with the deaths of all 224 people aboard in October 2015 and the killing of 130 people in a gun and bomb attack on Paris two weeks later.

• What is 'Islamic State'?

Source – bbc.com

Kim Kardashian West apologizes for Aaliyah Halloween costume: 'We don't see color in my home'

Kim Kardashian West is apologizing after offending some fans by dressing up as the late singer, Aaliyah, for Halloween.

The reality star, who dressed like the R&B singer from her 2001 "Try Again" music video, took to her website to explain why she chose Aaliyah for one of her many Halloween costumes, and her intentions behind the costume.

"Aaliyah was such an amazing singer and she will forever be a music legend," Kardashian West, 37, wrote. "I saw online that some people thought my costume was in poor taste and I am truly sorry if that offended anyone."

"When I was creating the costume, I wasn't dressing up as a race or culture but rather as a woman whom I will always admire," she added.

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Baby Girl Aaliyah pic.twitter.com/5GUHkNJgNi

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 29, 2017

"I play every kind of genre of music in my home and I like for my kids to be exposed to many different artists," Kardashian West continued. "For me, it's always about love and respect."

Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in 2001, wasn't the only celebrity the reality star paid homage to this year. She also dressed up as Cher and Selena. And last Saturday, photographers caught Kardashian West resembling Madonna while her sister, Kourtney Kardashian, dressed up as Michael Jackson.

Kardashian West added, "I loved that Kourtney was Michael Jackson for one of her costumes, and that my son was Axl Rose. We don't see color in my home. We were paying homage to people and artists we love and respect — it's that simple!"

“”We don't see color in my home. We were paying homage to people and artists we love and respect — it's that simple

The "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star is expecting her third child with husband, rapper Kanye West. The two, who wed in 2014, are already parents to 4-year-old daughter North West and 1-year-old son Saint West.

Earlier this week, Kardashian West detailed how she celebrated Halloween this year.

"We all go to Kourtney's and spend Halloween there," she told guest host Jennifer Lawrence on Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Halloween is always so fun."

• Star