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Ruthless drought in West Timor puts children in crisis
REMOTE WEST TIMOR (CNN) -- Maria's labored breath echoes within the walls of her family's mud hut. Her tiny, bony hands open and close in slow claw-like motions.
She's 15 months old, but weighs just 10 pounds -- one of countless children under the age of 5 facing severe malnutrition in Indonesia's West Timor. A typical infant weighs about 24 pounds at 15 months.
"Maria sleeps most of the time. Sometimes she cries but not often," her 25-year-old mother Adolphina Fao says softly.V
Maria is fighting to live, wasting away in her remote village where aid officials say climate change has brought on a severe drought in recent years. It's nearly impossible for residents to live off the land like they have for generations.
"It's hard to feed her," her mother says. "Some are good days, some are bad. Sometimes she eats a whole plate, sometimes nothing."
As Fao speaks, she spoons glutinous rice into Maria's tiny mouth. The baby spits out most of it.
Aid officials say Maria is one example of a chronic crisis that has been worsening in West Timor, the Indonesian portion of the island of Timor that is home to about 1.5 million people.
According to a joint survey by aid groups Church World Service, Helen Keller International and CARE, more than 50 percent of children under 5 in West Timor are suffering from malnutrition. In some areas it's as high as 70 percent -- a higher percentage than areas of Africa.
Of those, nearly 1 in every 10 children suffer from acute malnutrition, meaning they are near death, according to organizers. The study also found that 61 percent of the children suffer from stunted growth.
"Stunting is the result of extended periods of inadequate food intake, poor dietary quality, increased morbidity or a combination of these factors," the study says. "This finding indicates that the diet has been very poor quality for a very long time." REMOTE WEST TIMOR (CNN) -- Maria's labored breath echoes within the walls of her family's mud hut. Her tiny, bony hands open and clos... more -
Worlds Biggest Hockey Stick & Pluck Record
The Cowichan Community Centre, in Duncan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, boasts the largest hockey stick and puck in the world. Built in 1985, the 205-foot hockey stick is built from Douglas Fir wooden beams reinforced with steel, and weighs in at a staggering 61,000 pounds (28,118 kgs).
The World's Largest Hockey Stick & Puck was originally commissioned by the Government of Canada as part of the Expo '86 World's Fair Exposition in Vancouver.
For full story
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com
The Cowichan Community Centre, in Duncan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, boasts the largest hockey stick and puck in the worl... more -
Shetland island breaks away from UK, EU
Stuart Hill, sole owner and resident of a 2.5 acre island off Scotland, declared his independence from the UK this weekend, saying he wanted the territory to be a crown dependency like the Channel Islands.
He named the island Forvik in honour of the Shetland's Scandinavian past.
you too can apply for citizenship Stuart Hill, sole owner and resident of a 2.5 acre island off Scotland, declared his independence from the UK this weekend, saying he ... more -
300 days as Robinson Crusoe
"French explorer and adventurer Xavier Rosset is about to embark on a 300 day trip to live alone on a remote tropical island in the South Pacific. His adventures will be filmed and used for a 52 minute documentary.
Xavier’s only luggage will be a Swiss army knife, machete video camera and a solar panel for charging the camera. He will spend 10 months alone on an island to develop another way of life through an exciting adventure, a return to the elemental sources. Xavier will survive alone on an island without human interference and without polluting emissions.
The ambition of this documentary is to make a reflection on our lifestyle, our current system and our relationship to nature. And the most important thing is to put the dream and emotion at the heart of adventure natural.
He will find timber to build a shelter, feed on the rudimentary fishing, plants and the harvesting of rainwater to survive".
By Cheyenne Morrison "French explorer and adventurer Xavier Rosset is about to embark on a 300 day trip to live alone on a remote tropical island in the So... more -
Top ten places of paradise on Earth - places of paradise and parasites
1. Island Tristan da Cunha ...
However, there are places where tourists should not go if they seek comfort and safety.
1. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea : numerous AIDS cases and terrifying criminal rates ... 1. Island Tristan da Cunha ... However, there are places where tourists should not go if they seek comfort and safety. ... more -
Iceland - the happiest place on earth
As reported in The Observer:
''Highest birth rate in Europe + highest divorce rate + highest percentage of women working outside the home = the best country in the world in which to live. There has to be something wrong with this equation. Put those three factors together - loads of children, broken homes, absent mothers - and what you have, surely, is a recipe for misery and social chaos. But no. Iceland, the block of sub-Arctic lava to which these statistics apply, tops the latest table of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Index rankings, meaning that as a society and as an economy - in terms of wealth, health and education - they are champions of the world. To which one might respond: Yes, but - what with the dark winters and the far from tropical summers - are Icelanders happy? Actually, in so far as one can reliably measure such things, they are. According to a seemingly serious academic study reported in the Guardian in 2006, Icelanders are the happiest people on earth. (The study was lent some credibility by the finding that the Russians were the most unhappy.)'' As reported in The Observer: ... more -
Whose Royal HIGHNESS Exactly?
The Price of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Jamaica on 12 March 2008. Their Royal Highnesses and will be on an official visit until 14 March 2008.
Why do we stil Acknowledge a King , A Monarchy A Commonwealth when it is far from that the 'wealth is not common'. As an educated son of Jamaica i find it Unbeleivable that our young developing island nation should still pay tribute and lip service to a Monarchy that we are linked to by the horrors of Colonialism and remeniscent of Centuries of Physical and Psychological Slavery
Think on these things The Price of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Jamaica on 12 March 2008. Their Royal Highnesses and will be on an official... more -
Galapagos Now!
The "last paradise on earth" is currently endangered by the very things that may actually save it: economic growth and a deluge of human beings. How can we steward a sustainable society so that the planet's natural heritage doesn't become a cross between Hawaii and Disneyland?
The "last paradise on earth" is currently endangered by the very things that may actually save it: economic growth and a deluge of hum... more -
Survivorman Man
Thayer Walker attempts to survive on a deserted island for a month with nothing but a knife, the clothes on his back and a solar-powered camera. Thayer Walker attempts to survive on a deserted island for a month with nothing but a knife, the clothes on his back and a solar-power... more
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Okinawa, Japan 8: Ie-Jima
James Knott takes a ferry to the island of Ie-Jima and climbs to the top of it's highest point, Gusuku-Yama. On the way down a huge snake nearly lands on his head.
Okinawa is a sub-tropical island in southern Japan. James Knott explores the geography, history, people and culture of this unique place in a series of podcasts. Tune in, learn, and enjoy!!!
Please comment, rate and subscribe to my videos. I'm using any feedback I can get to help me make a documentary about visiting Okinawa. James Knott takes a ferry to the island of Ie-Jima and climbs to the top of it's highest point, Gusuku-Yama. On the way down a huge sn... more -
Google billionaire to marry on Branson's island
NEW YORK - Larry Page, Google billionaire co-founder, is set to marry his girlfriend, Lucy Southworth, on a tiny Caribbean island this weekend, a source familiar with the wedding arrangements said.
The couple will hold the ceremony on an island enclave owned by Richard Branson, the billionaire owner of Virgin Group VA.UL, who will act as best man to Larry, the source said. NEW YORK - Larry Page, Google billionaire co-founder, is set to marry his girlfriend, Lucy Southworth, on a tiny Caribbean island this... more -
Visiting Okinawa
The Worldwide Uchinanchu festival, where Okinawans from around the world return to the main island, sets the stage for a family vacation to Okinawa. The beautiful scenery, fascinating culture and rich history of the island are all highlighted. Check out www.agileh.com/okinawa.html for more videos about Okinawa. The Worldwide Uchinanchu festival, where Okinawans from around the world return to the main island, sets the stage for a family vacati... more
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Vacationing at the Dump
Round Trip to Boston $480.79
Ferry to Spectacle Island $8.75
Finding out that Spectacle Island is a heaping load of trash...priceless. Round Trip to Boston $480.79 Ferry to Spectacle Island $8.75 ... more
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