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Pictures of the week: From a roar that hit the spot to smoke-filled skies
Here's our pick of the best pictures around the world this week...

Hear my roar! Young leopard Fred attempts to show his sister, Ginger, who's boss in their enclosure at Dvur Kralove Zoo, Czech Republic. Ginger looks unimpressed. (Action Press/REX)

Mount Sinabung spews ash as stars glisten above. The volcano in Indonesia has been active since November. More than 25,000 villagers from the surrounding area have been evacuated, while the ash has coated the ground below in a thick blanket of grey soot. (Reuters)

The Saudi Hawks Display Team perform stunning aerial displays at the Bahrain International Airshow in Sakhir, Bahrain. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

A message from the gods? Lightning strikes during the doubles match between Rameez Junaid of Australia and Adrian Mannarino of France, and Rohan Bopanna of India and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, during the 2014 Australian Open in Melbourne. Australia has been in the grip of a heatwave this week. Temperatures rose above 45C and dozens of bush fires raged through communities in the south and west of the country. The fires have claimed one life in North Grampians, west of Victoria. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images)

Pie-eyed: World Scotch Pie winner Stephen McAllister, from Kandy Bar Bakers in Saltcoats, Scotland, celebrates the only way he knows how at The Scotch Pie Awards in Dunfermline, Scotland. (PA)

Taking a break: A family wrapped up in traditional Mongolian wear rest on a sleigh, while their camel, adorned in colourful garments, waits by their side. The family are attending the annual Thousand Camel Festival in West Ujimqin Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The festival boasts races, polo competitions and performances of traditional Mongolian music and dance. (Unimedia Images/REX)

Is this real or fake? Talented painter Roberto Bernardi, 33, spends up to a month painstakingly perfecting paintings that look real. The 39-year-old Italian artist uses oil on canvas to produce extraordinary art that can fetch up to £76,000. (Roberto Bernardi/Caters)

A Naga Sadhu, or Hindu holy man, offers blessings to a woman after taking a holy dip at the meeting point of the Ganges River and the Bay of Bengal, India. The man, covered in white, bathed in the water during Makar Sankranti - a Hindu festival that marks the start of the harvest season. (Reuters)

The beginning of the apocalypse? The Luminarias festival, where riders guide horses through bonfires, is held annually in the small town of San Bartolome de los Pinares in central Spain. The festival dates back 500 years and is held the night before St Anthony's Day, the patron saint of animals. It is believed the smoke from the bonfires bless the animals and protect them for the year to come. (Reuters)

A trend for next season? Photographer Tim Tadder snapped the moment a water balloon popped over a model's head. (Tim Tadder)

Smoke billows from a vast fire at a recycling plant in Sherburn-in-Elmet, where 15,000 tonnes of tyres burned this week. The blaze was so fierce that the nearby town of York was blanketed by the black smoke. The plume reached heights of 6,000ft - high enough to be seen from space. The cause of the fire is not yet known. (PA)

Couple searching for dog that comforts cemetery visitors

Link
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/couple-searching-dog-comforts-cemetery-095231724.html

2 days 7 hours ago, WCNC Charlotte

LINCOLNTON, N.C. -- A German Shepherd that spent his days comforting visitors at a local cemetery is missing.

“He just started going over to the graveyard and hanging out with the guys as they were working on the graves out here and he just kind of became a part,” explained owner Brad Beal, on how Boh became a fixture at Forest Lawn Cemetery, “he would walk the ladies from their cars to the office every morning. He’d console the families.”

Forest Lawn Cemetery, on E. Hwy 150, is the last place Boh was seen. A person working at the cemetery said they saw a woman wearing scrubs put the dog in her car and drive off back on Friday, February 28th.

In addition to searching on foot and in their cars, Tina Kennedy and Brad Beal posted photos and pleas on Facebook. The posts went viral and the messages started pouring in.

“A man said ‘You won’t believe what your dog done for me. He’s helped me grieve through this process.’ And we’re finding all this out on Facebook,” marveled Beal.

Comments on photos and shared links called the dog “God’s shepherd watching over loved ones gone, but not forgotten.”

Other people shared their personal stories on how Boh comforted them in their time of need.

The couple had no idea their dog touched the lives of so many others.

“It is heartwarming to know what we knew was special to us has turned out to be, or maybe to be, more special to some other people because he’s helping them through a hard time,” said Kennedy.

East Lincoln Animal Hospital posted on its Facebook page that a person did bring in a dog that matched Boh’s description to check for a microchip (Boh is not microchipped).

The page said the woman told the office she was going to take the dog to a shelter. She did not leave any contact information.

Boh is two-and-a-half years old. He has a thick, black, nylon collar.

The tags fell off in the yard a few days before he vanished.

Boh also likes to chase his tail, and often runs in circles after catching it. If you know where Boh is, his owners ask that he be brought back home or to the cemetery.

You may contact Brad Beal at 704.740.6659

The plant that could cost you your home

The spread of Japanese knotweed is cause for concern for all homeowners

If, like me, you are not particularly green-fingered, you might think that one plant looks pretty much like another. In which case you are in danger of missing a silent assassin gaining strength within your garden.

Japanese knotweed looks like lots of other weeds to the untrained eye, but it has the power to ruin your home and cost you thousands of pounds.

Pity the couple in Hertfordshire that were told a couple of years ago that their £300,000 four-bed home needed to be demolished in order to treat the scourge of Japanese knotweed that had penetrated their walls.

The plant had spread from waste ground near the newly-built property and quickly advanced the length of the garden to enter their home through walls and skirting boards. Surveyors told them that the value of the property had dropped to just £50,000, and that the only way to effectively remove the scourge was to knock the house down, treat the plant and then rebuild.

And imagine the disappointment of the home seller who saw his deal fall through within weeks of exchange because a tiny 3cm piece of Japanese knotweed had been found in his garden. His buyer’s lender panicked and refused to lend the mortgage.

These are clearly extreme examples but Japanese knotweed is almost always a problem for homeowners (and potentially their neighbours).

What exactly is Japanese knotweed?

Japanese knotweed has been in the UK since the 1800s, having been introduced as an ornamental plant by the Victorians.

It looks pretty innocuous, like many plants or weeds, and is described by the Environment Agency as lush green in colour with shovel shaped leaves and a stem that looks like bamboo. It also produces white flowers in autumn and grows rapidly, up to 10cm a day.

It spreads like wildfire through its stems underground, growing a metre in a month and potentially causing heave below buildings.

Once the concrete or tarmac cracks from the heave, the plant has a way into your home, working its way through the tiny gaps and potentially causing structural damage or blocking drains. It’s the most invasive plant in the UK and very persistent indeed.

What to do about it?

Whatever you do, don’t ignore it. Japanese knotweed grows rapidly and if it infects your neighbours’ gardens and properties you could be liable for damages. So if you see it in your garden, deal it with properly and quickly.

You need to focus on stopping the plant spreading and getting rid of it. Believe it or not the Environment Agency takes this problem so seriously it has produced a knotweed code of practice to guide those involved in the disposal of the plant through the specific measures that should be undertaken.

It’s targeted towards firms that are involved in the disposal of the plant, but if you have Japanese knotweed on your land it is still essential reading, as it will give you an idea of what you should expect any professionals you employ to be doing.

Key things to be aware of are:

• If you are having the weed fully excavated and disposed of, any contractor you employ needs to be registered with the Environment Agency as a waste carrier. The agency’s website also allows you to search for contractors in your area on its Waste Directory.

• You can also treat the knotweed more slowly with a combination of herbicide treatment and careful excavation if you have no urgent need to get rid of it. But this will take at least three years and you will still have to dispose of the soil in line with the code of practice mentioned above. Plus you should still get a qualified person to carry out the treatment and if you live near a river or stream, you need permission from the Environment Agency before using any chemicals.

• You can burn the waste from Japanese knotweed but you should inform your Local Authority and pay heed to best practice guidelines.

• Soil containing burnt remains of Japanese knotweed may also be buried on the site where it was produced, but very specific guidelines need to be adhered to. Plus you need to inform the Environment Agency a week in advance if burying the waste from your knotweed.

As you can see, there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get rid of this plant properly and it’s little wonder many people pay a contractor to ensure the job is done properly.

But what should you do if you notice this plant and you are about to sell your home? Do you need to go through all of these measures first, or can you sell up with the knotweed in your garden?

Or can you take a risk and just cut it down the day before the viewings and the survey and hope for the best? No!

Be upfront

To be blunt, if you are trying to sell your home and you discover Japanese knotweed in your garden, it is likely to cause you problems. Some buyers won’t touch a house if they know this plant is in the garden, or even neighbouring gardens. And even those that are willing to deal with it may find their mortgage lender will not offer them a loan once they learn of it, because of its potential to cause damage.

But it’s not all bad news. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders many lenders will now consider lending on a property with Japanese knotweed (and they expect their surveyor to spot it during the valuation). They usually consider applications on a case-by-case basis and look for evidence of an initial treatment, with a commitment to an ongoing treatment programme.

Another reason not to contemplate hiding the presence of Japanese knotweed in your garden is that the Property Information Form used during the property sale transaction has recently been updated to specifically ask a question about it.

However, if you lie on this form you are leaving yourself open to a misrepresentation claim from your buyer, since the documents form part of the pre-contract enquiries and are legally binding.

Japanese knotweed can be a major problem for homeowners but it can also be dealt with if caught early and treated effectively by an experienced contractor. If you have the weed in your garden, tackle it head on because, one thing is certain, it won’t go away without a fight!

Japanese Knotweed Recipes
last modified September 05, 2008

After harvesting this thug, try some of these delicious recipes.

Recipes Utilizing Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum)

Applesauce-Knotweed Cake

For this recipe, you’ll need to harvest Japanese Knotweed stalks at the “wild rhubarb” stage, which typically shows up around the end of April in the Boston area.

Look for stalks about 18-24 inches long, select the fattest stalks you can (at least 3/4 inch in diameter – they’re easier to peel that way), cut at ground level, lop off the top cluster of leaves and bring the stalks home.

Once you’ve got them home, peel the very outer layer (which is stringy) off of each stalk;

Japanese Knotweed stalks are hollow, though, so don’t peel too deeply or all you’ll have left is the hole.

You can eat the peeled stalks raw if you want (their tart, juicy, crunchy texture and flavor is somewhat like that of a Granny Smith apple), or just chop them up for use in the recipe below or just about any other recipe calling for rhubarb.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup plain applesauce
• 4 firmly-packed cups peeled Japanese Knotweed stalk pieces

(chop or knead the peeled stalks into small pieces <1” long).

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• powdered sugar Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 13” by 9” baking pan.

Beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until blended.

In the meantime, mix the flour, baking soda and spices together in a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, then add the applesauce, knotweed pieces and walnuts and mix until blended.

Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and spread evenly.

Bake at 350ºF for one hour, then remove from the oven and cool on a wire drying rack.

Dust the top with powdered sugar.

Serve warm or cold.

Makes 15 good-sized servings.

Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for use in the next few days or frozen for longer storage.

Go Anywhere Knotweed Squares

You’ll need to harvest Japanese Knotweed stalks at the “wild rhubarb” stage for this recipe, which typically shows up around the first week of May in the Boston area.

Look for stalks about 18-24 inches long, select the fattest stalks you can (at least ¾ inch in diameter – they’re easier to peel that way), cut at ground level, lop off the top cluster of leaves and bring the stalks home.

Once you’ve got them home, peel the very outer layer (which is stringy) off of each stalk; Japanese Knotweed stalks are hollow, though, so don’t peel too deeply or all you’ll have left is the hole.

You can eat the peeled stalks raw if you want (their tart, juicy, crunchy texture and flavor is somewhat like that of a Granny Smith apple), or just chop them up for use in the recipe below or just about any other recipe calling for rhubarb.

Ingredients For bottom crust:

• 1 cup flour

• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar

• 1/3 cup butter (cold) For filling:

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

• 3 firmly-packed cups peeled Japanese Knotweed stalk pieces (chop or knead the peeled stalks into small pieces <1” long) Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Grease an 11” by 7” by 2” baking pan.

Put crust ingredients into a food processor and pulverize until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press into the bottom of the baking pan and bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes.

To make the filling,

place all the ingredients except the Knotweed into a bowl and mix together; then stir in the Knotweed pieces.

Pour filling mixture over the warm crust and spread evenly.

Bake at 350ºF for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into it comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.

Cut into brownie-sized pieces and serve warm.

Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for use in the next few days or frozen for longer storage.

Russ Cohen’s Sour Cream Knotweed Crumb Cake

You’ll need to harvest Japanese Knotweed stalks at the “wild rhubarb” stage for this recipe, which typically shows up around the first week of May in the Boston area.

Look for stalks about 18-24 inches long, select the fattest stalks you can (at least ¾ inch in diameter – they’re easier to peel that way), cut at ground level, lop off the top cluster of leaves and bring the stalks home.

Once you’ve got them home, peel the very outer layer (which is stringy) off of each stalk; Japanese Knotweed stalks are hollow, though, so don’t peel too deeply or all you’ll have left is the hole.

You can eat the peeled stalks raw if you want (their tart, juicy, crunchy texture and flavor is somewhat like that of a Granny Smith apple), or just chop them up for use in the recipe below or just about any other recipe calling for rhubarb.

Ingredients For cake:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup dairy sour cream

• 5 firmly-packed cups peeled Japanese Knotweed stalk pieces (chop or knead the peeled stalks into small pieces <1” long), tossed with 1/2 cup flour,

1 teaspoon cinnamon,

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and

1/4 teaspoon allspice in a bowl

For topping:

• 1/2 firmly-packed cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

• 1/4 cup cold butter, cut up into small pieces Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Grease a 13” by 9” baking pan.

Cake:

Beat sugar and butter in a in a large bowl on medium speed until blended.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl,

then add to the creamed mixture alternatively with the sour cream, mixing well.

Stir in the floured/spiced Knotweed pieces and mix well, then pour the cake batter into the baking pan and spread evenly.

Topping:

Place brown sugar, flour and spices into a food processor and pulse until well-blended;

then add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the entire topping mixture is uniformly crumbly.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter.

Bake at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack; serve warm.

Makes 15 good-sized servings.

Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for use in the next few days or frozen for longer storage.

More info about Russ Cohen’s schedule of public foraging programs: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/sched.htm More info about Russ’ foraging book, Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/press_release.htm More info about Russ Cohen: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/bio.htm

Japanese Knotweed Recipe - Knotweed Summer Rolls

Since Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is so common and highly invasive here in southern New England, it is easy to find in quantity in the early spring.

It is best picked as a tart, toothsome shoot before it gets much bigger than 8" tall.

As it grows, it get tough and stringy and more difficult to incorporate into a recipe.

We have made quite a few sweet recipes with knotweed, like dessert bars, jelly and tapioca.

Here is a savory idea made with raw, sliced knotweed shoots to eat as part of an early spring, edible weed dinner.

We added some other spring edibles as well, all of which are optional or have similar common substitutes.

Any Thai style sweet-sour-spicy dipping sauce is great on the side, and most of the more exotic ingredients are available at an Asian grocery store.

To dip and soften the rice paper wrappers, I use a large pie plate filled with warm water.

It is a good idea to have extra wrappers, since they may rip. Depending on how full you make the wrappers, there will be 6-8 rolls.

Japanese Knotweed Summer Rolls makes 6-8 rolls

6-10 8" Vietnamese rice paper wrappers
3 oz. bean thread noodle cakes
1 c. thinly sliced Japanese knotweed shoot stems
1/2 c. chickweed greens, or parsley and cilantro leaves
3 Tbsp dandelion flower petals
2 Tbsp chopped ramps leaves, or chopped scallions
4 Tbsp shredded carrots

Thai dipping sauce

1. Soak the bean thread noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, until they soften. Rinse and drain well.
2. In a bowl, add the chopped knotweed, chickweed greens, dandelion petals, ramps, and carrots to the bean thread noodles. Toss well.
3. Soften the rice paper wrappers in warm water for about 15 seconds until they are pliable. Place on a smooth surface.
4. Take about 1/2 cup of the noodle filling and place it in the center of the top third of the wrapper. Fold over the top of the wrapper to cover the filling, then fold in the two sided toward the center. Now roll the filled wrapper towards the bottom, enclosing the filling completely. This may take some practice!
5. Chill the summer rolls for 15 minutes, and serve with a spicy-sweet Thai dipping sauce.

Japanese Knotweed Recipe - Knotweed Dessert Bars

We put his recipe up last year, but it really is good and the knotweed is at the optimum height right now. This should be made ideally with the thickest, but shortest stalks you can find so they will be fleshy without any woodiness.

Japanese Knotweed Dessert Bars makes a 11" x 7" pan

Crust:

1 c. flour
1 c. confectioners sugar
6 T cold butter

Filling:
2 large eggs, beaten
2/3 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated fresh nutmeg
3 c. chopped knotweed stalks, leaves removed

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease the 11" x 7" baking pan.

2. In a food processor, pulse the crust ingredients together to resemble coarse crumbs. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan evenly. Bake the crust for 12 minutes.

3. For the filling, combine the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, and spices with a whisk. Stir in the chopped knotweed pieces and coat them evenly. Pour the filling mixture over the warm crust and spread it evenly.
4. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the egg mixture is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool. Cut into 1" squares and serve.

Unbaked Knotweed Bars

Mysterious 500-year-old Voynich manuscript “has secret message”

A 15th-century manuscript described as “the world’s most mysterious” contains a secret message, according to a new computer analysis.

• Yahoo! News - A 15th-century manuscript described as “the world’s most mysterious” definitely does contain a secret message, according to a new computer analysis.

• Article: Code of Mysterious Secret Society Cracked Centuries Later
LiveScience.com - Wed, Oct 26, 2011

• Article: US, Swedish researchers crack 250-year-old cipher
Associated Press - Wed, Oct 26, 2011

A 15th-century manuscript described as “the world’s most mysterious” contains a secret message, according to a new computer analysis.

The Voynich Manuscript is written in an unknown language and script - and the 240-page vellum book has defied dozens of attempts to decipher it, even by top World War II codebreakers.

Carbon dating suggests that it was written in the second half of the fifteenth century, but the book first "surfaced" in the seventeenth century. It appears to be a guide to plants, but almost all the illustrations show non-existent species.

The manuscript is highly controversial, with many experts dismissing it as a hoax - but a new analysis of the text appears to have found “patterns” of meaning which would have been impossible to fake in the 15th century.

The new research has also found "keywords", some of which seem to match to the strange, hand-drawn illustrations that surround the text. It could aid new attempts to crack the code.

“The Voynich text has resisted all attempts to decipher it, even by top World War II cryptographers,” says Dr. Marcelo A. Montemurro of Manchester University. “However, the fact that it has been impossible to decode so far cannot be a proof that there is no message inside it.”

Other ciphers previously thought "unbreakable" have recently been cracked by computer technology - such as the Copiale Cipher, an 18th century German manuscript which was "broken" in 2011, revealing the secret rites of an occult society.

“For the past few years I have been studying the statistics of language - using methods from physics and information theory,” says Montemurro. “These methods allow the extraction of keywords (that is words that are closely relevant to the meaning of the text) even if the underlying language is unknown.”

Montemurro’s technique analysed the text at a large scale - looking for “clusters” of words as the text moved from one subject to another, rather than trying to understand the manuscript’s grammar.

“Over long spans of texts, words leave a statistical signature about their use,” says Montemurro. “When the topic shifts to a different one, other words are needed, and so on.”

Montemurro’s analysis found a range of “keywords” in the text - and found that the pattern of their use was similar to known languages. The researchers also found that clusters of keywords seemed to “match” the illustrations.

The knowledge required to put this level of detail into a hoax manuscript means it is less likely that a 15th century hoaxer could have

“It is not not an absolute impossibility that it is a hoax - but most if not all of these features were not known in the 15th century,” says Montemurro. “The hoax hypothesis is that it needs to explain all the levels of structure that are found in the text - and how they could naturally emerge from the hoaxing method.”

“I’m not a cryptographer, but I can see it as a step forward in the sense that now there are candidates among the text’s words to be those more closely connected with the meaning of the text,” says Montemurro. “There is still the question of what sort of method was used to encode the message and hide its message - making a connection between our analysis and a possible decoding mechanism will require more specialized research."

Solving the Voynich Manuscript: Prof. Gordon Rugg

http://youtu.be/YpzLhmH0UYs

Uploaded on 9 May 2010
An edited excerpt from the "Weird or What?" documentary, first aired May 2010 on the Discovery Channel. This excerpt describes an interpretation of the meaning of the Voynich Manuscript by Dr. Gordon Rugg, a professor of knowledge modelling at Keele University, Staffordshire U.K. Professor Rugg demonstrates how the Voynich, a classic problem that has fascinated linguists and encryption excerpts for centuries, could be a hoax. Details from the original producer, see http://dsc.discovery.com/

Voynich Manuscript : Mysterious book that contains many UNDECIPHERED secrets

http://youtu.be/EYOOALvp6-w

Uploaded on 23 Dec 2010
Voynich Manuscript

Named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller Wilfrid M. Voynich, who acquired it in 1912, the Voynich Manuscript is a detailed 240-page book written in a language or script that is completely unknown. Its pages are also filled with colorful drawings of strange diagrams, odd events and plants that do not seem to match any known species, adding to the intrigue of the document and the difficulty of deciphering it.

The original author of the manuscript remains unknown, but carbon dating has revealed that its pages were made sometime between 1404 and 1438. It has been called "the world's most mysterious manuscript."

Theories abound about the origin and nature of the manuscript. Some believe it was meant to be a pharmacopoeia, to address topics in medieval or early modern medicine. Many of the pictures of herbs and plants hint that it many have been some kind of textbook for an alchemist. The fact that many diagrams appear to be of astronomical origin, combined with the unidentifiable biological drawings, has even led some fanciful theorists to propose that the book may have an alien origin.

One thing most theorists agree on is that the book is unlikely to be a hoax, given the amount of time, money and detail that would have been required to make it.

7 photos that reveal what families eat in one week

In a new series of photos, families worldwide pose with one week’s food supply.

How much food does your household go through in a week? What are your go-to family meals? And how much do you spend on food? You can get a glimpse of how others answered these questions in Oxfam’s new photo series, which depicts people from around the globe with one week’s food supply for their families.

Building on an idea that originated with 2005′s Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, the new images feel especially timely now, when reports about half of the world’s food going to waste vie for space with news about rising global food prices. According to a recent article accompanying some of the photos in the UK Independent, “There is deep injustice in the way food is grown and distributed … the world’s poorest people spend 50-90 percent of their income on food, compared with just 10-15 percent in developed countries.”

As you can probably guess, the families’ diets differ depending on where they live. But if if there’s one common thread that links these images, it’s that we all have to eat. We all face challenges and successes when it comes to feeding our families. And we can all help to make the food system fairer for everyone.

So check out seven highlights below. Then tell us in the comments: What does your week’s food supply look like? How does your family measure up?

Shahveller, Azerbaijan

Photo: David Levene/Oxfam
Mirza Bakhishov, 47, his wife, Zarkhara, 37, and two sons, Khasay, 18 and Elchin, 15, own a small plot of land where they grow cotton and wheat as well as animal feed. “Our small cattle and poultry [are] everything for us. All our income and livelihood is dependent on them,” said Bakhishov.

Vavuniya, Sri Lanka

Photo: Abir Abdullah/Oxfam
Selvern, 70, far right, and her daughters have been members of Oxfam’s local dairy cooperative for four years. Her youngest daughter Sukitha, second from right, works at the cooperative and is also trained as a vet. Selvern gets up at 5:30 every morning to help her daughters milk their cows; she sends most of the milk to the co-op with Sukitha and uses the remainder to make cream and ghee for the family.

Mecha, Ethiopia

Photo: Tom Pietrasik/Oxfam
A week’s food supply for Wubalem Shiferaw, her husband Tsega, and 4-year-old daughter Rekebki includes flour, vegetable oil, and a paste of spices called berbere. Tsega works as a tailor, while Wubalem follows a long local tradition and supplements her income with honey production. An Oxfam-supported cooperative helped Wubalem make the transition to modern beekeeping methods, which produce greater yields.

Yegeghus, Armenia

Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Panos
The Josephyan family from with their weekly food supply, which includes wheat flour, dried split peas, sugar, and cooking oil. The family supplements their diet with eggs laid by their chickens and wild greens from the fields.

London, UK

Photo: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam
Ian Kerr, 30, with his family and a week’s food supplied by a charity food bank. Ian left his job to become a full-time carer to his disabled son Jay-J, 12. Also pictured are his daughter Lillian, 5, and mother-in-law Linda, 61. Kerr says the family’s favorite food is spaghetti Bolognese, but Lillian says her favorite is Jaffa Cakes.

Kaftarkhana, Tajikistan

Photo: Andy Hall/Oxfam
BiBi-Faiz Miralieba and her family, from left to right: son Siyoushi, 11, niece Gulnoya Shdova, 14, and children Jomakhon, 6, Shodmon, 9, and Jamila,13. Like many women in rural areas of Tajikistan, Miralieba is now the head of her household as her husband has migrated to Russia to find work.

Gutu, Zimbabwe

Photo: Annie Bungeroth/Oxfam
Ipaishe Masvingise and her family with their food for the week, which includes grains and groundnuts as well as fruits like pawpaw and oranges. Masvingise, a farmer, said she sells extra grain from her harvests to pay for school fees and medical costs, and to support members of her extended family who don’t own their own land.

Beautiful Pictures

towering red dust storm gathers over the ocean, ahead of a cyclone approaching Onslow, West Australia, on January 9. The remarkable photo was captured by tug boat worker Brett Martin, 25 nautical miles from the town of Onslow. (AFP)

Killer whales surface through a breathing hole on January 9. The creatures were trapped under sea ice in Canada's Hudson Bay. Up to a dozen whales were feared to be stuck, however winds later pushed the ice away from the coast. (Reuters)

Snowfall at the ruins of the Roman Temple of Bacchus in the historic town of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon on January 10. An unusual chill swept across the Middle East recently, bringing heavy snow and freezing conditions in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Syria and Palestine. The weather has claimed at least 17 lives across the region (Reuters)

Tammy Holmes and her grandchildren clutch each other as they seek refuge under a jetty on January 4 after wildfires consumed their home in Dunalley, Tasmania. The photo was taken by their grandfather, Tim Holmes. The family survived but their house, which Mr Holmes built himself, was destroyed. (Sky)

A twilight view of London from the top of the Shard, the tallest building in western Europe. The skyscraper, which is 1,013ft tall, opens to the public on February 1. Visitors will be able to reach the 72nd floor of the 78 floor building. (Reuters)

A 'lion' caused panic in Virginia, America when it was spotted loose on the streets. When police investigated it turned out to be 'Charles the Monarch' - a labradoodle whose fur had been shaved to look like a lion (SWNS)

Unexplained readings from the Cassini probe, which orbits Saturn, hint that blocks of ice might bob on the surface of the lakes of liquid methane on Titan. NASA believes that life could lurk in the ice - but it would be very different from life on Earth as the lakes are composed entirely of liquid ethane and methane. (NASA)

Andrejus Rascinski, aged nine, from Birmingham, waits to perform in the under-14s competition at the European Elvis Championships on January 6. Over 70 Elvis impersonators, decked in sequins and well-groomed sideburns, flocked to Birmingham to take part in the competition. (PA)

Photographer Reinhard Dirscherl took this extraordinary snap of a whale shark, which looks like it is about to eat a diver in Indonesia. The 47,000lb shark is not dangerous to humans, instead preferring to snack on plankton (Caters)

Sir David Attenborough warns that humans are 'a plague on the Earth'

The 86-year-old broadcaster said the negative effects of climate change and population growth would cause disaster within next 50 years.

Press Association - The 86-year-old broadcaster said the negative effects of climate change and population growth would cause disaster within next 50 years.

Sir David Attenborough has warned that the human race has become a "plague on the Earth".

The 86-year-old broadcaster said the negative effects of climate change and population growth would cause disaster within next 50 years.

He told the Radio Times: "It's coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. It's not just climate change. It's sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now.

"We keep putting on programmes about famine in Ethiopia - that's what's happening. Too many people there. They can't support themselves - and it's not an inhuman thing to say. It's the case.

"Until humanity manages to sort itself out and get a co-ordinated view about the planet, it's going to get worse and worse."

Sir David is a patron of the charity Population Matters, which aims to limit population growth through programmes such as contraception drives.

Sir David, whose landmark series are being repeated on BBC2, also said that his style of presenting would soon be extinct.

He told the magazine: "I'm not sure there's any need for a new Attenborough. The more you go on, the less you need people standing between you and the animal and the camera waving their arms about.

"It's much cheaper to get someone in front of a camera describing animal behaviour than actually showing you (the behaviour). That takes a much longer time.

"But the kind of carefully tailored programmes in which you really work at the commentary, you really match pictures to words, is a bit out of fashion now... regarded as old hat."

Common Conditions that Cause Disability

• Arthritis and other musculoskeletal problems. These are the most common causes of long-term disability. They make up as much as a third of all disability cases. Arthritis is probably the biggest single cause. About one in three people say that arthritis affects their ability to do their jobs in some way, according to the CDC. Other muscle and joint problems -- bad backs, bones that never mend, bad hips -- are common causes of disability too, says Matt Tassey, past chairman of the nonprofit Life and Health insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE).

• Heart disease and stroke.While we tend to think of cardiovascular disease in terms of sudden medical events -- like a heart attack or stroke -- it's often a chronic condition. People live with heart disease for years or decades. It can severely limit their ability to work. Studies estimate that heart disease is now the reason for 17% of all health costs in the U.S.

• Cancer. While cancer itself can be disabling, treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can also make it difficult to work.
"Cancer is the fastest-growing cause for disability claims," Tassey says. Why? In part, this reflects a rising rate of cancer, he says. It could also result from more effective treatment. "We're doing medical miracles today," he says. "People are living much longer after a cancer diagnosis than they once did."

• Mental health problems. You might think of disability as physical, but mental health problems can make work difficult or impossible. Depression, bipolar disorder, and other conditions can be as disabling as any physical illness. Mental health problems are the most common reason that people file for Social Security disability, Tassey tells WebMD.

• Diabetes. As a cause of disability, diabetes is rising fast, Tassey says. Along with obesity, it's linked to a number of serious health problems, like heart disease.

Diabetes is a costly disease to manage too, in part because of the drugs and supplies.

Typically, treating it without health insurance costs between $350 and $900 a month.

• Nervous system disorders. This category includes a number of conditions --
multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ALS, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions that affect the brain or nerves. MS is a leading cause of disability in young adults. It most often appears between ages 20 and 40.

• Pregnancy. You might not think about pregnancy as a disabling condition.

Since most women in the U.S. don't get paid maternity leave, it effectively is. The Family and Medical Leave Act offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. However, it isn't available to many women who are self-employed, work at small businesses, or who haven't worked long enough with an employer to be eligible. Some employers and a few states offer women short-term disability payments for pregnancy. The rest have to get by using sick days and vacation.

Long-term disability caused by pregnancy is relatively rare.Women who wind up needing bed rest while they're pregnant or who suffer from complications afterward -- like postpartum depression -- can face serious financial stress.

• Accidents. Although surveys show that people assume accidents are the most likely cause of disability, they are actually the cause of less than 10% of disability cases. This category includes not only accidents at home or on the road, but accidental poisoning too.

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/top-causes-disability

You can manage that anger by…

• recognizing the difference between an annoyance or inconvenience and a bona fide reason to get mad - somebody hurting you, hurting somebody you care for or damaging your property are all good reasons to get mad; somebody “disrespecting” you, getting in your way, slowing you down, being luckier than you, or doing something better than you do it are not reasonable causes of anger,
• taking a deep breath, stepping away from the situation and asking yourself “Why am I really mad?”, often people misdirect anger caused by a valid yet bigger issue on to everyday annoyances and inconveniences,
• know your triggers, if there are certain things that you know bother you or that you can’t accept know what they are, take steps to avoid them, and play out an appropriate reaction in your head when you're feeling calm to train your mind to react that way when the problem arises in real life,
• plan your time wisely, one of the most common anger stressors is poor time management, when you’re in a rush and something slows you down even more you are very likely to react in anger, the simplest way to avoid this is to exercise effective time management,
• exercising regularly, it’s true that exercise is an excellent way to de-stress body and mind, people who exercise regularly are less likely to overreact to annoyances and inconveniences,
• talk it out, reacting in anger often causes the reasoning center of the brain to shut off for a time and the way you can turn it back on is to talk rather than act out when anger takes hold, it may sound crazy but taking a few minutes to gather your thoughts and speaking them out loud can do wonders to diffuse an angry situation.

http://teenadvice.about.com/od/violencebullying/a/angermanagement.htm

Did You Know...

... that a weed called wild tomatillo has been shown to halt and even dissolve aggressive cancer tumors?

Recently, researchers from the University of Kansas were honored for discovering the remarkable cancer-fighting properties of the wild tomatillo (Physalis longifolia). This humble member of the nightshade family is a weed you might easily spot in your own yard if you live in the Midwest, where it grows abundantly (as it does in several other areas of North America).

Historians have documented a long history of medicinal use of wild tomatillo by numerous Native American tribes. The Omaha, Ponca, and Winnebago tribes used wild tomatillo to treat headache and stomachache and to dress injuries. The Iroquois used it against sexually transmitted diseases, and the Lakota tribe used it to enhance appetite.

Soon, this powerhouse plant could transform the way conventional doctors treat cancer. That's because it contains a minimum of 14 potent anti-cancer compounds that have demonstrated the ability to halt and even dissolve aggressive tumors in animals.

The Discovery of Wild Tomatillo

A scientist by the name of Barbara Timmerman pioneered the exciting research of wild tomatillo. Timmerman—a medicinal chemist and co-director of Kansas University's Native Medicinal Plant Research program—was leading a bio-prospecting project in South America in the 1990s when her professional curiosity led her to a remarkable "accidental" discovery.

Timmerman had originally intended to investigate a medicinal plant native to the region of South America where the bio-prospecting project was located. Ultimately, however, Timmerman had to abandon the research due to the high expense and complex logistics related to travel and other factors.

Instead, Timmerman decided to search for related plant species closer to home. She partnered with another scientist—Kelly Kindscher of the Kansas Biological Survey—and together, the two began scouring the American Midwest.

"Our research led us to Physalis longifolia, which is a fairly common plant throughout the Midwest," says Timmerman. "And from there, we discovered not only the molecule we were seeking, but also the 14 new compounds, most of which have turned out to be even more potent than the original one we were looking for. Discovery is a beautiful thing when it happens like that."

Wild Tomatillo Dissolves Aggressive Tumors in Animal Studies

Dr. Mark Cohen is a surgical oncologist and translational clinician scientist at the Kansas University Medical Center. He collaborated with Timmerman and Kindscher in conducting the lab research that pinpointed the 14 anti-cancer compounds contained in wild tomatillo.

Animal trials have already shown that the compounds (known as withanolides) are capable of both fighting and killing cancer cells. In test mice fed wild tomatillo, aggressive tumors shrank quickly and dramatically. Some of the tumors actually dissolved completely. And none of the mice displayed signs of side effects or toxicity from the treatment.

Tomatillo's cancer-fighting compounds target a wide range of cancers, including...

Melanomas
Thyroid cancer
Head and neck squamous cell cancer
Breast cancer
Glioblastoma brain tumors
Esophageal cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Certain leukemias

Award-Winning Research Breakthrough

The anti-cancer discoveries documented by Timmerman are so significant that the she and her team were honored recently at the highly exclusive University Research & Entrepreneurship Symposium in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

"We're excited by the preliminary results," says Timmerman. "While our research is still in the early stages, we're optimistic that some of these 14 molecules could lead to new plant-based drugs or dietary supplements."

Availability and Use of Wild Tomatillo

Because this research is in such early stages, it is still challenging to find commercial products containing extracts of wild tomatillo. However, that will likely change soon now that Timmerman's research has been showcased at the prestigious University Research & Entrepreneurship Symposium in Cambridge. The Symposium attracts investors and venture capitalists specifically seeking promising new treatments to support and develop.

As research on wild tomatillo continues, we might expect to find tomatillo extracts available for purchase in the near future.

Help fight cancer, study finds

Tuesday, May 08, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A multidisciplinary research team from theUniversity of Kansas(KU) has made a pioneering discovery in the realm of natural, plant-based cancer treatments. Preliminary findings published in theJournal of Natural Products(JNP) reveal that wild tomatillo (Physalis longifolia), a weed commonly found throughout the midwestern Great Plains and in other areas of North America, possesses at least 14 unique anti-cancer compounds that could one day change the way doctors approach cancer treatment.

 
During a bioprospecting project in South America back in the 1990s, Barbara Timmermann, a medicinal chemist and co-director of KU’sNative Medicinal Plant Research Program, made an interesting discovery. A plant native to that particular region turned out to contain anti-cancer compounds, which prompted Timmermann, whose work involves identifying plants with medicinal properties, to search out ways to investigate it further.

 
But because of cost, distance, and other physical and financial barriers, Timmermann was never able to return to South America to perform the necessary analyses and finish her research. So she reportedly joined up with Kelly Kindscher, a senior scientist at theKansas Biological Survey, to look for similar plants in the American Midwest. And much to their surprise, wild tomatillo turned out not only to contain the compound in question, but also to possess even more anti-cancer compounds than the original South American plant.

 
“Our research led us toPhysalis longifolia, which is a fairly common plant throughout the Midwest,” said Timmerman. “And from there, we discovered not only the molecule we were seeking, but also the 14 new compounds, most of which have turned out to be even more potent than the original one we were looking for. Discovery is a beautiful thing when it happens like that.”

Animal trials show wild tomatillo can effectively mitigate, cure cancer
After first identifying wild tomatillo, Timmerman and Kindscher sought the help of Dr. Mark Cohen, a surgical oncologist and translational clinician scientist at the KUMedical Center, to analyze the plant.

The three successfully identified the 14 compounds in question, known aswithanolides, which in animal trials have already been shown to both fight and eradicate cancer cells.

 
According to Dr. Cohen’s laboratory analysis, these 14 compounds target melanomas, thyroid cancer, head and neck squamous cell cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma brain tumors, esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and certain leukemias. When fed wild tomatillo, test mice with these and other cancers saw their tumors shrink drastically, and in some cases even completely dissolve, without any negative side effects or noticeable toxicity.

 
The breakthrough findings are so significant, in fact, that Timmerman and her team’s work was featured at the recentUniversity Research & Entrepreneurship Symposiumin Cambridge, Massachusetts. The event is an exclusive, invite-only showcase of the nation’s most promising new university-based technologies for industry leaders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs (http://www.universitysymposium.com/).

 
“We’re excited by the preliminary results,” added Timmermann. “While our research is still in the early stages, we’re optimistic that some of these 14 molecules could lead to new plant-based drugs or dietary supplements.”

 
Currently, wild tomatillo extracts, powders, and supplements are not widely or commercially available to the public. But as research on wild tomatillo continues to emerge, it is expected that wild tomatillo products might soon hit the market in the form of all-natural, food-based supplements.

 
Sources for this article include:
http://medicalxpress.com
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com
Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/035799_cancer_tomatillo_weeds.html#ixzz1uITuSGV2

5 Pictures that Will Inspire You

Sometimes a simple act of kindness and improve a person’s day. Sometimes, it can change their life.

We never really know the true impact we have on other people, even strangers. Here are a few inspiring examples of people who decided to share what they have with others. If these images brighten your day even just a little bit, be sure to pass them on to your friends and family!

A man gives his shoes to a homless girl in Rio de Janeiro

http://www.dailykindness.com/5-pictures-that-will-inspire-you

Mars in Stunning HD & Proof that Black Holes Exist

Mars in Stunning HD
http://youtu.be/Pe8ECk73-98

One of the most amazing photographic collections ever, from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, HiRISE camera. NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Proof that Black Holes Exist

http://youtu.be/QOW-NYPEp84

Ride this 26,000 light year zoom into the heart of the MW. The speeds and orbits of stars were used to calculate the mass of the central object, a black hole of 4 million solar masses. Be sure to favorite, rate, and comment!

Foods that will bring you luck
Article By: Elizabeth Rogers - Dec 29, 2011

Want to ensure wealth and prosperity for the year ahead? Add these traditional lucky foods to your New Year's menu.

Still trying to figure out what to serve on New Year’s Eve? How about serving up some luck? Folklore and custom around the world dictates that eating certain foods can bring wealth, prosperity and abundance in the New Year. Whether you’re superstitious or not, these traditions can add some tasty fare to the table.

Green veggies for greenbacks

Good news for vegetable lovers: it’s tradition to serve up some healthy fare for New Year’s. Many leafy green vegetables are thought to bring luck because they are the same colour as money.

Whether you believe this theory or not, these veggies are packed with vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A and C, folic acid, iron and calcium — making them a smart way to start the year.

But how should you prepare them? In the Southern U.S., collard greens are the favoured choice and they’re often boiled with a piece of salt pork or ham hock to temper their texture and bitter flavour. The vegetable may also be served with cornbread (which is the colour of gold) to soak up the broth.

In Denmark, kale is the vegetable of choice and a topping of white wine sauce, sugar and cinnamon is traditional.

If you’re not fond of these bitter greens, try turnip greens, dandelion, Swiss chard or spinach. As an alternative, bend the rules a little and use these greens for a salad. (And it’s okay to sneak in some other colours — after all, money isn’t just green).

Lucky legumes

Greens aren’t the only healthy choice for the dinner table. Legumes are also popular not only because they’re shaped like coins, but they also swell when cooked — symbolizing abundance. Not only are they inexpensive, they’re low in fat and a great source of soluble fibre and protein (not to mention iron and folic acid).

Two particular legumes win favour at New Year’s. The black-eyed pea is another Southern U.S. tradition and it’s often prepared in a Hoppin’ John (a mixed vegetable and rice dish). On the side, the black-eyed pea is a versatile choice for any menu because it can be made into a loaf, a dip, a bean salad and side dish. (See About.com’s Black-Eyed Peas recipes for ideas.)

The lentil’s green colour in addition to its shape makes it a favoured choice. It can be served on its own as a side dish (as it is in Germany and Brazil), or as part of a main dish. In some parts of Italy, this legume is served with sausage — another lucky food. People in some countries even combine it with sauerkraut.

Meaty rewards

With legumes on hand, meat isn’t necessary for a New Year’s feast but there are a few choices according to custom. One of the most common is pork, and it’s associated with wealth for a couple of reasons, depending on the country. Its fatty meat is linked with wealth or “fat wallets”, and pigs root forward — symbolizing progress. Roast pork, ham, sausages, roast pig and even pig’s feet are some of the many choices served around the world.

Fish also makes the list — with carp being the choice in Germany, boiled cod the favourite in Denmark and herring served as a midnight snack in Poland. The scales are lucky because of their resemblance to silver, and consuming fish is thought to ensure a good catch throughout the following year.

But beware… some meats are thought to bring bad luck. According to cooking website Epicurious.com, chickens, which scratch at the ground backwards, which could cause people to dwell on past regrets. Other winged foul will “fly away” with your luck, and lobster will cause setbacks because the crustacean moves backwards.

Long strands, long life

Forget the potatoes and try noodles for a long life. The Japanese custom is to serve long ooma noodles — but you’d better be careful not to break them as you slurp! In parts of Europe, sauerkraut is served instead, but long strands of cabbage are preferable to guarantee longevity.

Sweet success

Yes, desserts and sweet treats can bring you luck too if its shape resembles a coin or a ring. In the Netherlands, olie bollen (donut-like pastries filled with apples and raisins) are popular, while Italians treat themselves to chiacchiere, fried balls of pasta dough drenched with honey and sprinkled with sugar. Donuts are popular in Hungary and Poland, while sweet breads or cakes are served in Italy as a symbol of hope. Benné wafers, made from sesame and cheese, are also served in many African countries or in African American communities.

Of course, sweets of any kind can be served to promote “sweet success” in the future.

Hidden treasures

Some traditions dictate that not everyone gets the luck on New Year’s — and ironically it’s a matter of chance who gets the nod. It’s tradition in many parts of the world to serve a loaf of bread, cake or dessert with a special treat baked inside. The person who gets the treat — whether it’s a nut, coin or other trinket — is said to have luck for the New Year.

In Greece, vasilopita (a cake with a coin baked inside) is served at midnight in honour of St. Basil, whose memory is celebrated on January 1. The head of the family slices the treat, setting aside a piece for St. Basil or for the poor. Simply participating in the observance is thought to bring a year full of happiness and health.

Or perhaps a pudding would suit your taste? In Sweden and Norway, rice pudding is served with a whole almond hidden inside.

When the clock strikes 12

Sometimes it’s not about the food so much as when you eat it. For some, it’s important for a lucky food to be the first one consumed in a new year. For others, simply having food on the table at midnight means there will be enough food throughout the year. In the Philippines, it’s customary to gather seven different round fruits for abundance.

In Spain, it’s tradition to eat 12 grapes — one for each stroke of the clock at midnight. Eating 12 grapes in as little as 12 seconds is a challenge, so be sure to buy small ones if you plan to try this tradition!

And if you thought staying up until midnight was a challenge, consider that in some countries the celebrations last until the first sunrise of the New Year. In Japan, that’s when the celebrations begin in earnest.

Menu planning

The entire menu doesn’t have to be these lucky foods — you can use one or two or as many as you like. The trick is to eat well, but to create a balanced menu that doesn’t focus on heavy, rich foods. If you want to stray from this list, look for the essentials: colour (green, gold or silver) and shape (round or coin-shaped).

http://www.50plus.com/lifestyle/food-that-will-bring-you-luck/2014/3/

NASA confirms 'super-Earth' that could hold life
By Kerry Sheridan

In another step toward finding Earth-like planets that may hold life, NASA said the Kepler space telescope has confirmed its first-ever planet in a habitable zone outside our solar system.

French astronomers earlier this year confirmed the first rocky exoplanet to meet key requirements for sustaining life. But Kepler-22b, initially glimpsed in 2009, is the first the US space agency has been able to confirm.

Confirmation means that astronomers have seen it crossing in front of its star three times. But it doesn't mean that astronomers know whether life actually exists there, simply that the conditions are right.

Such planets have the right distance from their star to support water, plus a suitable temperature and atmosphere to support life.

"We have now got good planet confirmation with Kepler-22b," said Bill Borucki, Kepler principal investigator at NASA Ames Research Center.

"We are certain that it is in the habitable zone and if it has a surface, it ought to have a nice temperature," he told reporters.

Spinning around its star some 600 light years away, Kepler-22b is 2.4 times the size of the Earth, putting it in class known as "super-Earths," and orbits its Sun-like star every 290 days.

Its near-surface temperature is presumed to be about 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius). Scientists do not know, however, whether the planet is rocky, gaseous or liquid.

The planet's first "transit," or star crossover, was captured shortly after NASA launched its Kepler spacecraft in March 2009.

NASA also announced that Kepler has uncovered 1,094 more potential planets, twice the number it previously had been tracking, according to research being presented at a conference in California this week.

Kepler is NASA's first mission in search of Earth-like planets orbiting suns similar to ours, and cost the US space agency about $600 million.

It is equipped with the largest camera ever sent into space -- a 95-megapixel array of charge-coupled devices -- and is expected to continue sending information back to Earth until at least November 2012.
Kepler is searching for planets as small as Earth, including those orbiting stars in a warm, habitable zone where liquid water could exist on the surface of the planet.

The latest confirmed exoplanet that could support life brings to three the total number confirmed by global astronomers.

In addition to French astronomers' confirmed finding of Gliese 581d in May, Swiss astronomers reported in August that another planet, HD 85512 b, about 36 light years away seemed to be in the habitable zone of its star.

However, those two planets are "orbiting stars smaller and cooler than our Sun," NASA said in a statement, noting that Kepler-22b "is the smallest yet found to orbit in the middle of the habitable zone of a star similar to our Sun."

"The Europeans have also been very active, actively working on confirming our candidates," said Natalie Batalha, Kepler deputy science team lead at San Jose State University.

"They have already confirmed two that are published and they have got another batch that are on the preprint servers so those will be, I'm sure, in the published literature soon," she added.

"So we are just thrilled about this. We need all telescopes observing these candidates so we can confirm as many as possible."

A total of 48 exoplanets and exomoons are potential habitable candidates, among a total of 2,326 possibilities that Kepler has identified so far.

The top rankers are listed in an online catalog that indexes bodies outside our solar system, available online at http://phl.upr.edu.

5 home remedies that really work

Health claims backed by science
© PAUL CHARBIT fotolia.com

The newspapers are full of stories about the miraculous curative powers of some herb or natural extract.

We've looked at the claims made by dozens of herbs and plants, and come up with 5 whose health claims are backed by hard science.

Here they are.

Ginger treats nausea

You may know it as biscuit ingredient or the flavouring of your non-alcoholic beer, but ginger also has well known medicinal properties.

Indeed, research suggests that ginger can safely relieve pregnancy related nausea and vomiting.

Scientists are also looking at whether it is effective for nausea caused by motion, chemotherapy, or surgery.

It is generally safe when taken in small doses.

Garlic lowers blood pressure

You may avoid it on your plate because of its pungent smell and its effect on your breath, but garlic has been used as a medicine for thousands of years.

There is some evidence that it may slightly lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.

Some studies have shown that eating garlic for 1 to 3 months can slightly lower blood cholesterol levels, though this requires further investigation.

Research suggests that garlic consumption may slow the development of arteriosclerosis - the hardening of your arteries, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Soy lowers bad cholesterol

Soy is a staple of the Asian diet and has been increasingly popular in the west. Soybeans are high in proteins and contain isoflavones, which are compounds similar to the female hormone oestrogen.

Eating soy on a daily basis has been found to lower slightly the levels of LDD - the bad cholesterol.

Scientists are also looking into whether it is effective in reducing hot flashes in women after menopause.

Peppermint oil helps irritable bowel syndrome

The peppermint herb is widely grown in Europe and is used to flavour foods, as well as to make tea.

It is also made into peppermint oil, which is taken in small doses to treat various conditions.

Several scientific studies have found that it can be effective in improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Other studies have found that when peppermint oil is combined with caraway oil, it may help relieve indigestion - but this evidence is preliminary.

Cranberry juice prevents urinary tract infections

More than just a cocktail mixer, cranberries have been used throughout the ages to treat problems as varied as wounds, diarrhoea, urinary problems, and stomach and liver ailments.

Scientists have in recent years found evidence that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections caused by bacteria such as E. coli.

There is also preliminary evidence that cranberries may reduce the ability of a bacteria called H. pylori to live in the stomach, where it can cause ulcers.

Some studies also suggest that cranberries may be able to reduce dental plaque, which is a cause of gum disease.

Forgiveness: The Story of that Great Englishman Saint Patrick
By David Evans

We all know that Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and the ultimate symbol of all things Irish. But in fact Saint Patrick was actually British! Here is his surprising story . . .

Patrick was born in the year 389 A.D. on the West Coast of Britain. It was not yet England and was still under the weakening control of the Roman Empire. In fact, Patrick's father was a minor official for the Romans, with enough status to enable his family to lead a comfortable, privileged life. But it was a dangerous time. There was a smoldering state of warfare between the Britons and the Irish across the sea. War parties from each side crossed over to the other side and raided the villages, looting, grabbing prisoners, and torching buildings. Many people were killed.

One night when the sixteen-year-old Patrick was asleep, a band of Irish pirates swept into his village with wild war whoops. They smashed down the door of his house, jerked Patrick out of bed, knocked him to the floor, and tied his hands behind his back. Then they shoved Patrick, dazed and stumbling, back to their boat, and threw him onto the deck. Soon the boat slid into the water, and Patrick, with ropes cutting into his wrists, was on his way to the forbidding land of Ireland and the life of a slave.

In Ireland Patrick was sold to a local king who put him to work tending the livestock. He endured beatings, near-starvation, and sub-zero temperatures. In the dead of winter he was forced to tend the herds in the hill country to the far North, where he was constantly shivering from the arctic winds howling all around him.

Patrick had grown up in a Christian household, but his family's faith had meant little to him. To Patrick, Christianity meant empty Bible passages, delivered in a singsong voice. Or dinnertime prayers hurried over as quickly as possible, so the meal could begin.

But the crisis of slavery changed everything for Patrick. He began to recall fragments of bible verses and long forgotten prayers and homilies from his childhood. He remembered that some of the people in the Bible had also gone through great tribulation: Job; the Israelites in Egypt; the psalmist David, fleeing for his life first from King Saul and then from his son Absalom. He remembered that they cried out to God, who brought them deliverance. So, with his heart in great anguish, Patrick turned toward the Lord.

He constantly dreamed of running away, but for years it was impossible. He was too closely guarded. Then one day a miraculous opportunity arose and he escaped. Patrick began the long, perilous journey to the coast, where he caught a boat for the continent. After many adventures he was finally re-united with his family for a spectacular Homecoming.

But even harder than escaping the imprisonment of his captors, was the struggle to escape from the imprisonment of his own heart. Patrick was filled with rage and resentment over his suffering while he was a slave. It was only through the alchemy of prayer that he was finally able to transmute his hatred for his captors into eventual forgiveness.

Patrick's religious experiences along the way led him toward the priesthood, and he traveled to Gaul for his ecclesiastical studies. But after his ordination, he began having strange, recurrent dreams. Again and again, in the middle of the night, he heard voices. They were Irish voices. They kept calling him, beckoning him: "We beseech thee, Patrick, come and walk among us once again."

Patrick came to believe very strongly that it was God's hand that first took him to Ireland, and that God was now calling him to return. So after Patrick became a bishop, he journeyed back to Ireland, but this time by his own free will, on a mission of love and mercy.

Patrick served in Ireland for thirty years as a wandering bishop. His contributions are the stuff of legend. He established churches and monasteries all through the country. He baptized tens of thousands of the faithful, and ordained hundreds of priests. He was greatly loved and was the true patron of Ireland.

What a wonderful model Saint Patrick is for all of us! He demonstrated that it is possible to live the life that Jesus has called us to. He is a great example of that life. Patrick suffered through years of pain and mistreatment, but he learned how to love his enemies and pray for those who persecuted him. With God's help we can too.