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REUTERS (US Edition) 4 JUNE 2014: FIGHTING RAGES IN EASTERN UKRAINE TOWN, RESIDENTS FLEE

NEAR SLAVIANSK Ukraine (Reuters) - Ukrainian government forces battled separatists with artillery and automatic weapons on Wednesday in a second day of fighting in and around Slaviansk, forcing many residents to flee. The Kiev government, trying to break rebellions by pro-Russia militias, said over 300 rebels had been killed in the past 24 hours in the "anti-terrorist operation" centered on the eastern town, a strategically located separatist stronghold. Rebels denied this, saying losses among the Ukrainian forces during an offensive begun on Tuesday exceeded theirs. At an army checkpoint on the edge of town, heavy artillery shelling could be heard while a plume of black smoke rose above the outskirts. Automatic gunfire rattled out from nearby fields. Families fled the fighting through a barbed-wire checkpoint with only as much as they could carry. "It's a mess," sobbed a young woman as she clutched her husband's arm. "It's war." Andrei Bander left with his four-year-old daughter. "We are going. We don't even know where. We will head to Russia though because it's clear we need to leave Ukraine," he said, waiting for a taxi in a small a no-man's land between the two sides. In support for the Ukrainian forces, acting President Oleksander Turchinov and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov paid an impromptu visit, clad in flak jackets, to another army roadblock on the far side of the encircled town on Wednesday. A spokesman for government forces said two soldiers had been killed and 45 wounded since Kiev launched its offensive near Slaviansk with aircraft, helicopters and artillery. POROSHENKO PLAN Separatists controlling the town since early April denied the government's casualty figures and claimed to have shot down an army helicopter - something denied in turn by Kiev. "Losses to the Ukrainian side were more than ours," said Aleksander Boroday, "prime minister" of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic. He said nine had died and 15 were injured among separatists forces in Slaviansk. At a news conference in the regional capital Donetsk, he said separatists would mobilize forces and train volunteers to fight in Slaviansk and defend their positions in Donetsk. President-elect Petro Poroshenko ordered the resumption of operations by government forces soon after his May 25 election to quell the rebellion by militia in the Russian-speaking, where people were largely unable or unwilling to vote in the poll. In Warsaw, where he met U.S. President Barack Obama, he said he would unveil a plan for a "peaceful resolution" of the situation in the east after his inauguration next Saturday. Kiev says the fighting was stirred up by Moscow, which opposes its pro-Western course, and accuses Russia of letting volunteers cross into Ukraine to fight alongside the rebels. Moscow denies this and renewed calls on Wednesday for Ukraine to open dialogue with the separatists. But the separatists look to Moscow for help. "When is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin going to come help us?" asked a young man in fatigues at a rebel checkpoint. ANTAGONISM TOWARDS KIEV A few kilometers away, a man from central Ukraine said he belonged to a separatist group called the Russian Orthodox army. "This is our land. We will stand here until the last," he said. Slaviansk, a separatist stronghold of 130,000, has strategic value since it sits at the center of the Donbass region at the cross-roads of eastern Ukraine's three main regions. Government forces appeared to be tightening their grip but it was too soon to predict the outcome. A government camp in Luhansk, further to the east on the Russian border, was evacuated after an attack by separatists on Monday. The military operation has hardened antagonism against the present government that came to power when President Viktor Yanokovich was toppled in February after mass protests in Kiev. "Our Ukrainian army is not protecting us, instead it is attacking us. Thanks to them I have to flee my own land," said Larissa Zhuratova, a Slaviansk resident piling onto a bus full of refugees bound for Moscow. Men were mostly not being let through the army checkpoint. At a run-down dormitory in a village some 100 km south of the fighting, an eight-year-old refugee mimicked the sound of shelling. "It went ba-boom. We sat in the bathtub," little Vitaly said, playing with toys gifted by local residents.

BBC NEWS 4 JUNE 2014 - EASTERN UKRAINE CRISIS: REBELS TAKE BASES IN LUHANSK REGION

Separatist rebels have taken two Ukrainian military bases in the eastern region of Luhansk as fighting continues near the rebel-held town of Sloviansk. Separatists seized a border guard base after days of fierce combat, and a National Guard base after an attack which began on Tuesday. An apparent air attack in Luhansk city on Monday killed a number of civilians. Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Donetsk region, troops are closing in on the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk. Pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukraine's industrial heartland, declared independence after holding referendums last month which were declared illegal by the government in Kiev. The rebellion began amid the turmoil which followed the downfall in February of the elected Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, whose pro-Moscow policies sparked mass street protests in Kiev during the winter. Base siege Reports of casualties in the fighting in Luhansk could not be verified independently. Ukraine's border service announced on its website that the personnel in the base of the Luhansk border detachment had been "redeployed to safer places" as a result of sustained attacks by large rebel forces. The National Guard base came under sustained fire from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, machine-guns and assault rifles on Tuesday after the soldiers rejected an ultimatum from a large rebel force to surrender, according to a report on the National Guard's website. Three soldiers were wounded and all of the base's vehicles and its headquarters building were destroyed in the fighting, the statement said. The garrison, it added, had now been "redeployed to a different, safe place". However, a rebel spokesman told Russia's Ria-Novosti news agency the soldiers had surrendered and had been allowed to "go home". The Russian news website ura.ru quoted a rebel commander as saying there had been "no battle as such" and the soldiers had simply surrendered after spiking some of their weapons. 'Surgeon killed' Investigations are continuing into the attack on the rebel-held regional administrative building in Luhansk on Monday afternoon. Rebels have accused the Ukrainian air force of killing eight civilians in the attack, and graphic video of bodies at the scene has been posted on websites. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said that, based on available evidence, "these strikes were the result of non-guided rockets shot from an aircraft. The number of casualties is unknown". But the Ukrainian authorities deny their planes were involved and suggest the damage was caused by the rebels themselves. Ukraine's interim President, Olexandr Turchynov, said in a statement on Tuesday that the northern part of Donetsk region had been "fully cleared" of separatists and the military had started blocking the border with Russia in the north and east of Luhansk region. Government forces took the town of Krasnyi Lyman, north-east of Sloviansk, after heavy fighting. A hospital was damaged by an air attack during the fighting and a surgeon killed by shrapnel, the hospital told Ukraine's Segodnya newspaper. Three patients were also wounded, it said. Photos of damage to the hospital were published by Segodnya. The rebels told Ria-Novosti that eight of their fighters had been killed in the town. In another development, Donetsk International Airport, scene of fierce fighting recently, said it would be closed until at least the end of June. Nato call Russia has been accused of fomenting the rebellion, following its annexation of another Ukrainian territory, Crimea, in March. Russian citizens have been fighting on the rebel side but President Vladimir Putin has again denied any official involvement by the Russian military. In an interview for French radio station Europe 1, he said: "No Russian military force and no Russian military instructor are present in south-east Ukraine". Nato's top military commander, US General Philip Breedlove, has said that Russian irregular forces, and forces backed and funded by Russia, are very active in eastern Ukraine and "this has to stop". Speaking in Brussels, he confirmed Russia was pulling back most of its troops from the Ukrainian border but a portion of the Russian force looked "like it intends to remain". LINK: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27693781

EASTERN UKRAINE 3 JUNE 2014: SLAVYANSK STORMED

Slavyansk. Hundreds, even thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and members of the National Guard of Ukraine died as the city of Slavyansk was stormed. Aleksandr Hodakovskiy, commander of the Vostok Battalion, announced the news, RIA Novosti reported. ”These are huge figures for Ukraine who has not been involved in wars since 1945. This is not normal. This is against nature. Silence is simply being kept about that. The Ukrainian media do not speak about that in order not to scare the public,” Mr Hodakovskiy, who occupies the post of head of the security service of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said. The most violent clashes between the volunteer corps and the Ukrainian forces took place on June 3, it is reported. LINK: http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2014/06/03/338388/ria-novosti-russia-hundreds-even-thousands-of-ukrainian-soldiers-die-as-slavyansk-is-stormed-volunteer-corps-say.html

ACTIVIST POST 26 AUGUST 2013: IT IS ILLEGAL TO FEED THE HOMELESS IN CITIES ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES

MAYBE YOU DO NOT KNOW BUT...It Is Illegal To Feed The Homeless In Cities All Over The United States. What would you do if a police officer threatened to arrest you for trying to share a sandwich with a desperately hungry homeless woman who really needed it? Such a notion sounds absolutely bizarre, but this is actually happening in major cities all over the United States. More than 50 large U.S. cities have adopted "anti-camping" or "anti-food sharing" laws in recent years, and in many of these cities the police are strictly enforcing these laws. Sometimes the goal appears to be to get the homeless people to go away. Apparently the heartless politicians that are passing these laws believe that if the homeless can't get any more free food and if they keep getting thrown into prison for "illegal camping" they will eventually decide to go somewhere else where they won't be hassled so much. This is yet another example of how heartless our society is becoming. The middle class is being absolutely shredded and poverty is absolutely exploding, but meanwhile the hearts of many Americans are growing very cold. If this continues, what is the future of America going to look like? READ MORE AT: http://www.activistpost.com/2013/08/it-is-illegal-to-feed-homeless-in.html

THE DOMINION POST 3 JUNE 2014: WARNING AS NEW LEGAL HIGHS HIT SHELVES

A poisons expert has warned of risks to users' health from new legal highs that have appeared to replace synthetic cannabis. Legal highs brand Tai High has introduced a new "non-psychoactive" smoking blend, claiming to be free of cannabinoids, nicotine and tobacco. The warning comes as information provided to The Dominion Post under the Official Information Act shows girls as young as 13 were left unconscious after smoking synthetic cannabis in the final months before the drugs were banned. National Poisons Centre reports reveal that users described "black vomit", suicidal thoughts and blacking out repeatedly after smoking the substances. Doctors and paramedics sought advice from the centre on handling the drugs, with one call from ambulance staff asking whether a 13-year-old who had passed out at school needed to be admitted to hospital. In another case, a woman showed up at a medical centre, saying she felt unwell after her son mixed synthetic cannabis with her fizzy drink, the reports show. All suppliers of psychoactive substances had their licences pulled last month, less than a year after the Government set up the world's first regulated market for synthetic highs. The withdrawal of licences came after growing public concern about the damaging impact of the drugs. Although the ban was welcomed by many, others said it would simply push the substances on to the black market, or force users on to harder drugs. Figures show that, in the six months before the ban was introduced, the poison centre received 153 calls from people saying they suffered bad effects from synthetic cannabis. The most common reports were of repeated vomiting, unconsciousness and stomach pains. Many reported feeling ill while trying to quit the drugs, with the number rising as the ban loomed. Ill-effects, including vomiting for hours, were reported from synthetic cannabis brands that were legal until last month and had been deemed "low risk" by the Ministry of Health. The new substances introduced by Tai High contain Turnera diffusa, or damiana, the herbal base used in synthetic cannabis but without the psychoactive component. The ministry's legal high regulatory body did not classify the plant material as a psychoactive substance but as a herbal smoking product, Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority manager Donald Hannah said. However, a National Poisons Centre spokeswoman said such products were notorious for being contaminated with illegal substances. According to the information provided by the manufacturer, the new legal highs did not contain any psychoactive components or anything illegal, she said. "But watch this space." Ad Feedback Damiana had been known to have properties of its own, she said. According to Tai High's website, damiana leaves were used as an aphrodisiac and had been used for sexual stimulation, increased energy, and treating asthma, depression, impotence and menstrual problems. Tai High also said that when the plant material was drunk as a tea it had a relaxing effect similar to low doses of cannabis. The poisons officer said legal high manufacturers were notorious for keeping actual ingredients secret and changing ingredients at the drop of a hat. "I'm sure there will be people plotting manipulation as we speak." Tai High did not return calls. The ministry had predicted as many as 200 synthetic cannabis addicts would need help after the ban but addiction services said they had not yet seen a rise in demand. Jenny Boyle, the Salvation Army's operation manager for alcohol and drug services, said roughly 10 per cent of its clients were recovering from synthetic cannabis addiction. Demand had remained "static" but it was too early to tell what effect the ban was having. Police have charged three people with either possession or selling synthetic cannabis since the ban was introduced. 'FEELS LIKE DYING' What synthetic cannabis users, their family and friends said in calls to the National Poisons Centre: I've had non-stop vomiting and haven't eaten for the past five days. My partner and I have been using synthetic cannabis. She feels like she is dying, her lungs are burning. My son is vomiting and becomes very agitated after smoking, very aggressive and psychotic. My son has had several violent seizures and was treated in hospital several times. His kidneys were only working at 50 per cent.

NZ HERALD 30 MAY 2014: CONFERENCE TO TACKLE ASIAN GROWTH

Discussion on whether migration will lead to racial backlash or create a vibrant multicultural society. The Asian population could hit 800,000 in 10 years and more than two-thirds will be living in Auckland, participants at a Chinese conference this weekend will be told. By the mid-2020s, the Asian working population of people aged between 15 and 65 will number 540,000, which will be larger than Maori and Pasifika, according to projections by Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley. He will reveal the figures at the Diverse Bananas, Global Dragons conference, which opens tonight and runs until Sunday at the University of Auckland Business School. "Banana" is a term used to describe Chinese who "are yellow on the outside but are white inside", said conference co-chairman Kai Luey. Professor Spoonley's session on Sunday will also discuss whether the boom in Asian population will result in a racial backlash or lead to a vibrant multicultural society and an accepted norm. The professor said Asian migration would remain a key feature in changing the demographics of New Zealand, and especially Auckland. In the 2013 Census, 23 per cent of Auckland's 1.42 million population identified as Asian, and this is expected to significantly increase over the next decade. "By the mid-2020s, the Asian population will exceed half a million in Auckland out of a New Zealand Asian population of 800,000," Professor Spoonley said. "The biggest concentration will be in Auckland within the old Auckland City area with almost 200,000." He said the Chinese community (171,000) was being "caught out in size" by the Indian population (155,000) in the city. "I expect the Chinese to settle at about a third of all Asians, especially given the growth of the Indian and Filipino communities." The Asian working population is also projected to be larger than Maori and Pasifika. He said Asians would be a "very significant feature" of the workforce, but could face challenges such as a "bamboo ceiling". It would also be a challenge to increase Asian participation in politics because more than a third did not vote in the last election "We still haven't adjusted to the fact that Asians are a significant part of our labour market, and there appears to be some resistance in employing them. I think there's going to be a tipping point, particularly when we get New Zealand-born and raised Asians, who are going to transform politics here in the same way Maori did in the 80s and 90s." LINK: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11264247