Vaccine alternatives offered by homeopaths `irresponsible`, not approved by Health Canada as alternatives to immunization.
Homeopathic medicine is the idea that giving the body small amounts of exposure to an illness will cure the disease (Image courtesy of Dr. Chauhan)
Many alternative health practitioners are offering unproven “vaccines” to parents, adding to their confusion about vaccination. Homeopathic practitioners in Toronto and Vancouver are selling treatments such as “nosodes” as vaccine alternatives, telling parents that they are as effective as vaccines against measles, polio, and whooping cough in immunizing infants and children. However, these treatments are not approved by Health Canada as substitutes to vaccinations. Nosodes are made of diseased tissues or secretions that are diluted until there is no virtually trace of the original substance. Homeopathic practitioners believe that the mere memory of the disease will cure it. They have told parents that such treatments will protect their children and have downplayed the severity of communicable diseases such as measles, which can cause brain damage and death. The number of children not up to date on their vaccinations in Canada is rising; this is partially due to the common myths against vaccine safety that keep parents fearful.
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Boko Haram militants kill 81 with bombs and gunfire at mosque in Nigeria’s largest city
A man stands among the ruins of the mosque destroyed by the militants (Image courtesy of AP Photos)
Gunmen set off three bombs, and fired on worshipers at the main mosque in north Nigeria’s biggest city, Kano. The attack had the hallmarks of Islamist Boko Haram militants. The coordinated assault occurred as scores of people entered the mosque’s courtyard for afternoon prayers. Boko Haram is a Sunni jihadist movement trying to recreate the days of Saharan Islam, when Kano was an Islamist empire thriving off trade in gold, ivory, and spices. It has attacked mosques who do not follow its radical ideology, as well as schools, churches, police stations, military bases, and government buildings. Nearly 6 years into its campaign, it has displaced over one million people, increasing dramatically from an estimated 700 000 people in September.
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Streaming services such as Netflix on the rise; Netflix CEO says broadcast TV will be obsolete by 2030.
Recent data suggests that Netflix makes up over a third of internet traffic during peak hours (Image courtesy of digitallanding.com)
Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, says that the current model of TV programming and distribution will be non existent within 15 years. He was quoted saying “It’s kind of like the horse, you know, the horse was good until we had the car.” Netflix is one of the worlds fastest growing content companies, servicing 34 million households in the US. Netflix has seen great success lately, and television ratings company Nielsen is going to begin tracking Netflix’s viewership in its ratings numbers, which it has not done before. Currently, there is no reliable way of comparing the number of people who are watching different television shows. Hastings added that Nielsen’s move will not include mobile usage, making the measurements less accurate.
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Protesters outraged at grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the Michael Brown case.
People protest decision made by the grand jury to not indict police officer Darren Wilson. (Image courtesy of Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The decision sparked outrage throughout the USA, and around the world. The cause of the protest began 9 August, when the Caucasian police officer Darren Wilson, shot and killed an unarmed, black teenager, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Immediately, people started to protest, accusing the Ferguson Police Department of racism. The high racial tensions in the US only increased after the grand jury’s announcement. People are protesting with signs saying “Black Lives Matter” and chanting, “Hands up, don’t shoot”. However, many protesters responded to the decision with violence, by burning buildings, looting businesses, and firing gun shots.
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Originating in the US, the Black Friday shopping frenzy has traveled to the UK.
People crowd to get electronic devices in London on Black Friday. (Image courtesy of David Parry/AP Photo)
This year’s Black Friday caused chaos in countless stores as customers foughtt and jostled for bargains. The shopping chaos has now traveled to the UK. Many stores in the USA were open right after midnight on Friday, 28 November. Numerous videos show people fighting over various items. In addition, several people were hurt by other shoppers or falling merchandise. In the US and UK, stores such as Walmart, Target, and Marcy’s, experienced mass crowds. In some stores, protesters seized the opportunity to share their opinions. Many shoppers in the USA also commented on how they dislike how many Black Friday sales began on or before Thanksgiving, saying it’s “ruining the spirit of Thanksgiving”.
