Spain: Thousands take to the streets against austerity on Sunday

Tens of thousands of Spaniards took to the streets once again yesterday in protest at the draconian austerity measures introduced by government in healthcare and education.

The latest austerity measures introduced by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy have caused devastating problems with both the healthcare and education system in the country.

With a $13 billion cut to the healthcare and education budgets, people have had enough.

Many banners in 55 cities throughout Spain read, "It's a crime to cut healthcare!" ... read full article.

Jamie Oliver's 'Food Revolution Day' coming up on May 19, 2012

The well-known British chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality has launched a food revolution, bringing healthier eating to homes, schools and communities in the U.S.A and U.K.

In an effort to get people to eat healthy, sustainable foods, Jamie Oliver has come up with Food Revolution Day, “a global day of action for people to think about where their food comes from and get back into their kitchens,” and this is happening on May 19 this year.... read full article.

Video: Avatar inspires scientists to plan brain transplants

In the wake of the recent popular movie "Avatar", Russian scientists now have plans to transplant people's brains into robots.

A young Russian has launched his own Avatar project. However he has no plans on travelling to another planet and is simply planning on transplanting a human brain into a robot body. Immortality style.

On the company´s website, four stages are laid out... read full article.

Bill proposed to ban bosses from asking for Facebook passwords

There has been much concern about potential employers requesting Facebook passwords from job applicants at interviews. Now gradually bills are being introduced to put an end to this.

Many potential employees have been told they must give up their passwords, or not get the job. Now people in power are saying that this invasion of privacy is just not on.

Maryland was the first state to propose legislation banning employers from making such demands. The bill will prevent managers from snooping on password-protected content, in the case of both job seekers and employees.... read full article.

Saudi man divorces wife live on radio talk show

Seems it is illegal for a woman to travel on her own in Saudi Arabia. When his wife went on a business trip without his consent, her husband divorced her live on the radio.

Saudi Arabia has one of the highest divorce rates in the world. In 2010, over 18,765 divorce cases were recorded. According to a local expert, Awad al-Harbi, this means one divorce occurs every 30 minutes.

The reason for the high number of divorces? In Saudi Arabia it is extremely easy to get a divorce. No long drawn out court cases are required and a husband can divorce his wife on the radio or even by SMS.... read full article.

Gaddafi sponsored Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential bid with 50M euro?

In a report released by Mediapart, they state that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was sponsored by Muammar Gaddafi to the tune of 50 million euros.

The report gives compelling evidence of Gaddafi's involvement in President Nicolas Sarkozy's successful 2007 election campaign.

The Paris-based investigative website has obtained a document signed by a senior official in Libya back in 2006 which states that the Gaddafi regime had "in principle" approved payment of 50 million euros to Sarkozy's presidential campaign, after a meeting with "one of his most trusted political allies." ... read full article.

Sunday travel: Tarifa, Spain — Chill out with cows on the beach

Tarifa is world-famous for its wind-surfing and beaches and is one of the best chill-out locations on the Costa de la Luz. While visiting Tarifa pop down to the dunes of Bolonia.

The small coastal town of Tarifa is located in the Cádiz province of Andalucia. Situated on the Costa de la Luz (coast of light), Tarifa is the southernmost town in the country.

Placed just across the Straits of Gibraltar from Morocco, you get some amazing views of the Moroccan coast.... read full article and view photos.

Microsoft has change of heart about CISPA — drops support

Microsoft has decided not to back CISPA citing consumer privacy concerns. One of the major corporate supporters of the draconian bill backs down.

One of the biggest worries on the minds of activists against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) was the number of large internet corporations who are supporting the bill.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday by a huge margin of 248 to 168.

Now one of the biggest has changed its mind - Microsoft says that any new law must allow them “to honor privacy promises” that they make to their customers. The company further said that it hopes to "ensure the final legislation helps to tackle the real threat of cybercrime while protecting consumer privacy." In its current form, CISPA does not protect the privacy of consumers... read full article.

Visiting Amsterdam for the pot? Sorry, not for foreigners

Amsterdam is famous for its "coffee shops" where you can have, well, just a little more than just plain old coffee. But now a judge is upholding a plan to ban foreign tourists from indulging.

There are currently more than 650 coffee shops in the Netherlands, of which 214 are in Amsterdam.

On Friday this week a Netherlands court upheld a brand new law that will introduce a "weed pass" which will be available exclusively to Dutch citizens and permanent residents in the country.

This means that when you go into a coffee shop, you'll just have to put up with a cappuccino instead.

The ruling comes into power in the southern provinces of the Netherlands next Tuesday... read full article.

Video: Austerity grows, police lash out at protesters in Spain

In a country where one in four citizens are now unemployed anger grows and with it, the brutality of the police against demonstrators.

Digital Journal recently reported that Spain has slipped back into recession. And now Spain has reached the highest level of unemployment in all of Europe, with 25% unable to find work.

As unemployment rises and the Spanish people's benefits are cut, anger is taking to the streets of Spain.

The more the desperation grows, the harsher the measures taken by police... read full article and view video.

Ukraine explosions: Follow up to blast in 2011?

Yesterday four explosions hit the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk, injuring at least 29 people, including around 10 children.

Digital Journal reported yesterday on the four explosions in various areas of Dnepropetrovsk which injured at least 29 people.

Ria Novosti has reported that the Security Service’s First Deputy Chairman Vladimir Rokitsky has said they have asked the help of international organizations to investigate the bomb attacks.

Rokitsky stated in an interview with the First National Channel on Friday that, “The [Security Service’s] Antiterrorism Center and its head have turned for help to international organizations that have an opportunity to assist in investigating this crime.” However, he did not elaborate on which organizations had been contacted.... read full article and view video.

Anonymous taking the battle against CISPA to the streets (video)

Anonymous has been battling against CISPA for some time - now they are starting "Operation Defense. Phase II" calling on people to take to the streets against the invasive legislation.

The group has now admitted that distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS) are not as effective as they were last year. They state that a number of major web sites have now upgraded their servers to manage the attacks.

Now they are telling people to take to the streets against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. They are calling on Americans to protest outside the local offices of companies that support the draconian bill which was adopted by the House on Thursday... read full article and view video.

Zero-gravity fun on the ISS prior to returning home (video)

Before returning home after six months aboard the International Space Station, the astronauts had a little fun with zero-gravity.

After six months on the International Space Station, astronauts decided to ham it up for the camera before undocking the ship ready to return to Earth.

All six astronauts performed a display of zero-gravity poses, spinning each other around and performing somersaults in the ISS laboratory, with much hilarity.

NASA astronaut Daniel Burbank and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Invanishvin and Anton Shkaplerov have completed their mission on the International Space Station and left for home at 08:18 GMT... read full article and view video.

Explosions hit Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine — at least 27 wounded

In the run up to the Euro 2012 football championship in Ukraine during June this year, four confirmed explosions have occurred in the Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk.

The explosions occurred in a series of locations in Dnepropetrovsk in Eastern Ukraine and up to 27 people have been injured. A terrorist investigation into the incident has been instigated by local authorities.

Local authorities have reported that the first explosion occurred as a crowded tram arrived at a stop. The bomb was apparently planted in a nearby rubbish bin and the explosion injured five passengers.... read full article.

40,000 Norwegian protesters serenade Breivik with song he hates

The 1970 children's song "Children of the Rainbow" is about a multicultural world and represents everything that Anders Behring Breivik despises.

A crowd of 40,000 Norwegians filled the streets of Oslo, despite the pouring rain, to protest against Breivik, the gunman on trial for the murder of 77 people.

They sang the song as a direct message to the mass murderer in the tragic massacre which left 77 dead and 242 injured in Norway last year.

The song is a Norwegian adaptation of 1973 track "My Rainbow Race" by American folksinger Pete Seeger... read full article and view video.

Crews quarantine Delta Airliner at Midway for bug bites

Delta Flight 3163 was quarantined at Chicago's Midway Airport because a passenger had a skin rash. Turns out it was just insect bites.

The plane sat on the tarmac for 2 hours after landing at Chicago's Midway Airport at 3:45 pm Central Time.

The crew of the plane had noticed that a female passenger had a suspicious skin rash and emergency crews quarantined the plane while examining the woman. Fire department crews surrounding the aircraft on the tarmac which raised panic levels with the passengers.... read full article.

Green clouds spotted over Moscow spark apocalypse fears

On the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, fear spread when green clouds were seen in the skies over Moscow. Experts say don't worry, it's only birch pollen.

People in the Russian capital were nervous today on spotting mysterious green clouds in the sky. The scene sparked doomsday theories and fears of a chemical disaster polluting the capital.

According to experts at the Emergencies Ministry the clouds are merely composed of birch pollen.

Moscow Twitter users were not convinced and tweeted alarming messages, such as "Sky has turned completely green in Moscow's south!" and "The factory in Kaluga is destroyed!".... read full article and view video.

Video: Ukraine furious over sexy Dutch Euro 2012 ad

A diplomatic row has blown up between Kiev and Amsterdam over a Dutch TV ad, which uses erotic images of allegedly Ukrainian women.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry is in an uproar of indignation over the above ad. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, diplomats totally ignore the problem.

The advertisement is titled "Keep Him Home", and is based on the premise that Ukrainian women are promiscuous and very sexy. In the ad, the Netherlands Energy Company offers a free beer tap to customers who sign up for its services.

The idea is to get Dutch women to keep their husbands home instead of allowing them to go to the Euro 2012 football championship in June this year. The championship will be held in Ukraine and Poland. Women should therefore get their husbands the free beer tap, and they won't have to move from the couch.... read full article and watch video.

Video: Mumia Abu-Jamal speaks from prison — life after death row

Democracy Now recently had an exclusive interview with Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted of the killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.

Abu-Jamal has been in jail for decades and last year the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals set aside his death sentence. They found that jurors in the trial were given confusing instructions that encouraged them to choose the death penalty rather than a life sentence. Digital Journal reported on the change of sentence in December 2011.

Mumia Abu-Jamal is still fighting to win his release from prison. There are allegations of judicial misconduct and racial bias in his court case.

A movement called "We want freedom" has for a long time argued racism by the prosecutors and trial judge in the court case that led to Abu-Jamal's conviction.

During the trial a court reporter overheard Judge Albert F.Sabo say in chambers: "I’m going to help them fry the nigger." ... read full article and view video interview.

Sgt. Gary Stein will be barred from the military with no benefits

The U.S. marine who got into hot water by insulting President Barack Obama on Facebook has now been banned from all branches of the military and has lost his benefits.

Earlier in April, Digital Journal reported that Sergeant Gary Stein made posts criticizing President Barack Obama on his Facebook page.

Stein superimposed images of President Obama's face on to a poster advertising the movie "Jackass".

The comments about Obama were made on Stein's Armed Forces Tea Party Facebook page. He posted in January: “I say screw Obama, I will not follow all orders from him.” Later, he clarified this statement by stressing that he "would not follow unlawful orders".... read full article.

Germany and France say no more open EU borders — Schengen to end?

Germany and France are proposing a bill which may impose border security checks on EU countries. They wish to tackle rising illegal immigration problems.

The Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985 and it allowed EU citizens to easily pass from country to country within the Eurozone.

With the current open-borders system, illegal immigration from third-party countries into Europe has become a huge problem, especially during the economic crisis.

According to Reuters over 90% of illegal immigrants cross the Greek border with Turkey. From there, with no check points between Eurozone countries, it is easy for them to move around... read full article.

The White House threatens to veto CISPA

The president's advisers have now said they will recommend that Obama vetoes the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act if it is passed by Congress.

Congress is planning to vote this week on the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) or H.R. 3523.

Digital Journal reported recently that President Barack Obama opposes CISPA. Now things are a little more official, as the Obama administration has said that it will advise President Obama to veto the controversial bill should it reach the White House.... read full article.

Stolen Cezanne worth $130 million found and returning home

In 2008, four Serbs stole four paintings by Cezanne, Monet, Degas and van Gogh. The Cezanne has now found its way home to Switzerland.

Four years after the audacious theft of the artwork, the $130 million Cezanne is in hand and on its way to Switzerland, according to Serbian police.

“The Boy in the Red Vest” by prominent French impressionist Paul Cezanne was found in Belgrade on April 12, following the arrest of four people on suspicion of robbing the E.G. Buhrie Collection in Zurich in February 2008.

The thieves stole four valuable paintings from the museum in what was one of the biggest art thefts in Europe.... read full article.

Ministry blames Bt cotton for Indian farmer suicides

While policy makers insist that Bt cotton in India is a success, the ministry says otherwise and blames the crop for suicides among India's farmers.

Digital Journal reported in March that cotton growing was not going well with the genetically modified crop.

Now for the first time suicides by farmers, including those in 2011 and 2012, have been definitively linked to the declining performance of the GM cotton.

Starting a decade ago, 90% of the country's cotton growers have adopted the GM cotton...read full article.

EU's demand for non-GM canola benefits Western Australians

European countries who have banned GM canola are turning to Australia for supplies. They previously bought from Canada, but now that country grows mostly GM crops.

The demand from European countries for non-GM canola has given growers in West Australia a boost in business.

There is quite a variation in price, with non-GM canola selling for approximately AUD 600 a tonne, which is AUD 40-50 more than the genetically modified alternative.... read full article.

Jazz FM listeners 'treated' to sounds of porn during broadcast

In a radio show, aptly titled "Funky Sensations" U.K. jazz fans heard "sounds of porn" playing in the background of the music.

The Telegraph reports that many listeners just couldn't believe their ears when they heard "sounds of sexual activity" in the background of jazz music on Jazz FM.

The radio station boasts an audience of around half a million listeners who could quite possibly have experienced the gaffe.

It happened during the popular Funky Sensation show with Mike Vitti, when for around 5 minutes swearing and ''clearly audible sounds of sexual activity'' were heard... read full article.

Pakistan tests nuclear-capable ballistic missile

Coming less than a week after India tested a long-range ballistic missile of its own, on Wednesday Pakistan successfully tested a nuclear-capable ballistic missile.

The missile, Shaheen-1A was reportedly aimed southward to the Indian Ocean and successfully covered some 4,000-4,500 kilometers. 

The distance covered by the test is sufficient to target any chosen location on Indian territory.... read full article.

Obama officially opposes CISPA but bill might still go through

The Obama administration has formally declared its opposition to the draconian Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA).

CISPA is up for vote in Congress this week, but a top White House official has now confirmed that President Obama and his closest officers are opposed to the bill.

Once the United States Congress has voted on CISPA, and if the vote successful, the next step is to pass it up the line to Obama for his signature.

The Guardian has reported that Alec Ross, a senior adviser to Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, has reiterated that top officials under President Obama are pushing to keep the legislation from being signed... read full article.

The Netherlands drawn into EU crisis — may ditch the Euro

The Netherlands has been drawn into the debt crisis in Europe as the government failed to agree on budget cuts, thus casting doubt on its support for the Euro zone

Reuters reports that over the weekend, the government in the Netherlands failed to gain coalition support for its austerity plans. Elections are now planned for September and analysists have said that one of the EU's strongest economies might just bring about the demise of the Euro.

The Netherlands Prime Minister, Mark Rutte strongly advocates the Euro. He has been attempting to get the Dutch Parliament to adopt 14-16 billion Euros worth of austerity cuts in the country. This attempt is aimed at getting the Dutch budget deficit under the 3% of deficit to GDP limit which was established by the new EU fiscal agreement... read full article.

Jon Lovitz insults President Barack Obama & the 99% (Audio)

Former "Saturday Night Live" star, Jon Lovitz speaks on his podcast, "The ABC's of SNL". In a stream of invectives he gives his views on Obama and the government. Warning: explicit language.

Lovitz made a name for himself playing characters such as Tommy Flanagan, the Pathological Liar and Hannukkah Harry.

Huffington Post reports that on his recent podcast, "The ABC's of SNL", co-hosted by filmmaker Kevin Smith, he thoroughly insults President Barack Obama... read full article and listen to audio (warning: explicit language).

Egypt has now denied licenses to 8 U.S.-based non-profit groups to operate in the country. They state they are violating the country's sovereignty.

An Egyptian minister said on Monday that this will include a center headed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter which monitors elections, the Carter Center for Human Rights. Also included is Seeds of Peace, a Christian group The Coptic Orphans and others. The minister spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media... read full article.

Assange — 'The World Tomorrow' — Ep. 2: Zizek & Horowitz (Video)

In episode 2 of this controversial series, Julian Assange of WikiLeaks fame interviews two people from totally separate points of view. One from the left-wing and one from the right.

On the left is Slovenian sociologist, philosopher and former anti-communist dissident turned communist, Slavoj Zizek. On the right is David Horowitz, who is a radical right-wing Zionist. In previous years Horowitz was a left-wing radical and was involved in fundraising for the Black Panther Party.

Assange wants to know the opinions of both parties on the state of Europe and the U.S.A.... read full article and watch video of the episode.

Spain in trouble over unused Olympics ticket allocation

It seems that Spain cannot sell its generous allocation of Olympics tickets, and Brits are upset as they "should be first in line".

Spain has recently admitted that it is unable to sell the country's generous allocation of tickets for the Olympics in London later this year.

The Mail Online reports that the Spanish Olympic Committee initially offered the tickets through the Finac music and books store chain. However with the country in crisis and money short on supply, after several months only a handful have been sold.

Now thousands of tickets are for sale online. Tickets will be available to all EU residents on the Spanish Olympics Committee website... read full article.

Ron Paul attacks CISPA — urgent call to oppose 'Big Brother' bill

Congressman Ron Paul has now spoken out against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). He urges U.S. citizens to inform themselves about this 'Big Brother' bill.

On April 4, 2012 Digital Journal reported on CISPA, a new bill being considered in Congress.

This draconian bill would allow the U.S. government to spy on internet users' communications, social media posts and navigation through the internet, all in the name of "cybersecurity".

Congressman Ron Paul has now publicly spoken against the "Big Brother" bill and the audio is posted above.

The Republican representative from Texas is asking the U.S. public to educate themselves on what would be a major threat to individual privacy throughout the U.S.... read full article and listen to audio.

Teaser: 'The World Tomorrow' Ep. 2: Left & right in 21st century

Tomorrow reveals the second episode of Julian Assange's controversial talk show 'The World Tomorrow'. This time Assange will be interviewing two people.

Last week Digital Journal reported on the first episode of the series in which Julian Assange interviewed Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah including a video of the talk show. 

This highly controversial episode caused a media frenzy of both criticism of and praise for Assange, including one media outlet that dubbed him a "puppet for the Kremlin" for his choice of broadcasting channel. 

The second episode features interviews from two opposite points of view on some of the hottest issues in the world today.... read full article and view teaser video.

U.S. troops may stay in Afghanistan until 2024

The plan was for the U.S. to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by 2014. However, this withdrawal may not be as full as planned.

A National Security adviser has said that the U.S. will help defend the country militarily for approximately a decade after the Afghans take control of their own security.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Mr Karzai’s top security adviser, has said that a new strategic pact has been agreed between the U.S. and Afghanistan. Part of this pact implies that the U.S. will not use the country to launch attacks on other countries in the region, including drone strikes.

However he did stress that the U.S. will only aid Afghanistan if approved by Kabul.

Spanta said that Washington may use “diplomatic means, political means, economic means and even military means.” ... read full article.

Egypt cuts natural gas supply to Israel

While insisting the move is not political, Egypt has cut the country's natural gas supply to Israel on Sunday. Egypt cited violations of contractual obligations.

On Sunday, Egypt's Natural Gas Holding Company announced the termination of its contract with Israel. Company head, Mohamed Shoeb has stated that Israel has not paid for its gas in 4 months. Shoeb stated: "This has nothing to do with anything outside of the commercial relations."

Israel purchases 40% of its natural gas supply from Egypt.

This move by Egypt also comes in the wake of cross-border attacks at gas pipelines following last year’s uprising... read full article.

Borat turns Kazakhstan into a desired travel destination

While leaders in Kazakhstan were initially upset at the spoof movie, 'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan', it seems the exposure has helped the tourism industry in the country.

In 2006 when the satirical film was released, there was an uproar. While the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not ban the movie outright, they did request the film's distributors not to release it in their country.

British comedian of Jewish origin Sacha Baron Cohen released the "mockumentary" and also plays the lead.

The story revolves around a fictitious Kazakh television star, Borat Sagdiyev, who travels to the U.S. in an attempt to improve the image of his home country abroad. He tells people that he is making a documentary on behalf of the imaginary Kazakh Ministry of Information. Many people interviewed in the movie believed he was the real deal.... read full article.

Pentagon's backup plan places 100's of Tomahawks near Iran

While Iran continues to deny that it is developing nuclear weapons, Washington is still concerned and has now deployed approximately 430 Tomahawk missiles in the Persian Gulf.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has reported that their plan for Iran "will be successful" according to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

In an interview between Blitzer and Panetta, it was advised that Washington has not yet dropped its "all options stance" on Iran. The Pentagon still fears that Tehran may be building nuclear weapons.

Panetta said: “We are prepared with all options on the table if we have to respond," and added "there are plans to deal with Iran if the country does not give up its nuclear ambitions. I don’t think there is any question that if we have to implement that plan, it will be successful.” ... read full article.

Video: Russia & China unite in 'Naval Cooperation 2012'

Russian-Chinese naval maneuvers are on the go in Qingdao, a port in southern China. 4 Russian warships are docked at a Chinese naval base to cooperate on anti-piracy measures.

Normally the warships are situated in the pirate-infested waters near Somalia, but they are taking a break for joint military drills in the Chinese port.

RT reports that the maneuvers have been dubbed "Naval Cooperation 2012" and began on Sunday this week.

When the Russian convoy traveled from Vladivostok, they were frequently followed by NATO reconnaissance destroyers, submarines and planes. However, both Russia and China were quick to stress that these war games are not being directed against a particular military bloc or country.

The Russian-Chinese exercises have been designed to build on the experiences of the two counter-piracy forces in the Gulf of Aden... read full article and view video.

8 U.S. troopers died of opiate overdose in Afghanistan

Investigative reports have shown that 8 U.S. soldiers have died from a heroin overdose or by mixing prescription and other opiate drugs during 2010/2011.

The United States Army Criminal Investigation Command has released a report on 56 U.S. soldiers who were investigated on suspicion of using, possessing or distributing heroin and other opiates. Of the 56 soldiers, 8 have died from an overdose.

CNN reports that the death of the 8 soldiers was shown to be caused by heroin toxicity or by taking a mix of opiate and prescription drugs.

Statistics prepared by the military also indicate that the number of U.S. soldiers based in Afghanistan, who tested positive for heroin has risen from 10 in 2002 up to 116 in 2010... read full article.

Iran begins cloning U.S. drone ― reverse engineering complete

Iran announced in December 2011 that they had successfully captured the RQ-170 U.S. spy drone that had invaded their airspace. It seems they have been playing with it ever since and have now succeeded in making a clone.

While the U.S. thought it had crashed, the Iranian military had apparently hacked the drone's control system and brought it down safely.

Some time ago, Iran made a copy of the clone as a simple toy and sent it to the U.S. in a joking response to demands to hand over the aircraft.

Media in Tehran now says that they have completed reverse-engineering the drone and have begun building their own.... read full article.

Video: Two explosions hit chemical plant in Japan

2 blasts at a chemical plant in western Japan today have killed 1 worker and injured 22 persons, including workers and residents nearby.

RT reports that workers were trying to shut down the Mitsui Chemicals Iwakuni-Ohtake plant, due to a problem in another section of the plant. The plant produces adhesives for rubber tyres and wood.

The explosions occurred while attempting to shut down the plant, which is based in Waki in Yamaguchi Prefecture, some 700 kilometers (434 miles) southwest of Tokyo... read full article and view video.

Video: Presidential candidate wants France out of Eurozone

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Gaulist candidate in the French presidential elections, says if elected, he wants France out of the EU bloc.

The French people are off to the polls today for the presidential elections with 5 candidates leading the polls. Current President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Socialist Party's Francois Hollande, the National Front's Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Melenchon of the Left Front and Democratic Movement leader Francois Bayrou are ahead in the race according to opinion polls on Friday.

However, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, who has formed the party "Arise the Republic", is still hopeful that he might get through. 

In an interview with RT News Mr Dupont-Aignan explains that France is not free anymore, and that the leaders are dominated by Brussels and the European Union. He says that the situation is undemocratic. He states that he wants to restore democracy in France... read full article and view video.

Sunday travel ― 'Life's a beach' in Fuengirola, Spain

Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol is famous for its 5 km stretch of sandy, well-kept beaches, running from the Sohail Castle all the way through to Torreblanca.

Relatively empty out of season but packed in summer, the beaches curve along the coastline with many restaurants, bars and chiringuitos (beach cafes) to choose from.

A beach promenade (Paseo Maritimo Rey de España) runs the full length, giving opportunities for strolling, jogging, power walking or just for simply walking the dogs in the fresh sea air... read full article.

Chilling new video of US border patrol beating immigrant to death

In May 2010, a U.S. citizen was crossing the bridge from Mexico into the U.S.A. She witnessed the brutal violence of several federal agents against a Mexican immigrant, who later died from his injuries.

Now an amateur video taken by Seattle resident Ashley Young has come to light, which shows 42-year-old Anastacio Hernandez-Rojas lying in the fetal position on the ground while at least 12 federal agents repeatedly shock him with a stun gun.  

The video was obtained by a lawyer who is representing the Hernandez-Rojas family in their wrongful death suit against the U.S. government... read full article and watch video.

Herbicide tied to strange skin disease killing people in Vietnam

A mysterious skin disease has killed 19 people and affected 171 others in the province of Quang Ngai, one of the most impoverished in the country. The resistant disease was first discovered in April 2011 before dying down and resurfacing with a vengeance.

The illness initially presents with high fever, appetite loss and a rash on the feet and hands, but left untreated can affect the respiratory system, cause eye problems, miscarriages, liver issues and multi-organ failure. And it has doctors baffled. 

The disease found in two communes in Quang Ngai province of Southern Vietnam, was first discovered about a year ago, before subsiding and reemerging. Now within the past year, 171 people have reported disease symptoms and it has claimed the lives of 19 others.. read full article.

Video: 2 trains collide in Amsterdam ― at least 70 injured

Dutch media reports that 2 trains have collided in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, injuring at least 70 with more than 50 seriously.

The BBC reports that the trains collided between the capital's main station, Amsterdam Central and the Amsterdam Sloterdijk station. 

While it is not immediately clear how the 2 trains had ended up travelling towards each other on the same track, Ed Kraszewski of the National Police Corps said that the cause of the collision would be investigated. The trains involved were an inter-city train and a local stopping service, and the crash occurred at around 18:30 local time.. read more and view video.

Op-Ed: Photo essay: An abstract view of life in Spain

Spain is, undoubtedly, one of the most photogenic countries in the world. But its not just the every day, touristy views that are of interest to the photographer. 

Ask any photographer, whether amateur or professional - they love taking photos that are a bit out of the ordinary.

When a photographer walks the streets, everything is seen with that famous "photographer's eye".

 A ruined house, paint peeling on a door, or just a whole bunch of rust are manna in heaven for them... read full article.

Video: Reindeer races & ice-fishing in Russia's frozen north

Northern Russia is well known for its harsh climate and vast icy tundra, where residents are cut off from the rest of the country.

The video explores this isolated area and introduces us to the residents, who are quite happy with the life they lead. Reindeer herders have a hard life, following their herds through the vast tundra, but every now and then they get together for some fun. 

Stick wresting, hurdle jumping and lasso throwing are some of the participatory sports, as can be seen in the video. 

 But reindeer racing is the main event of the year. Teams come from far and wide to participate in these exciting and sometimes dangerous events and the competition is tough.... read full article and view video.