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  This clipping shows the photo accompanying the first newspaper article about the 'Rochdale Poltergeist' case.  The Manchester Evening News article headline is "Spooky spills scare family from home."  Data of the case has been chronicled by MAPIT (Manchester's Association of Paranormal Investigation & Training) While writing the preceding blog article , I learned that last month a 120-page paperback was published with the title The Rochdale Poltergeist  by Jenny Ashford and Steve Mera.  Twenty years have passed since Mera and other members of the paranormal investigation group MAPIT observed anomalous phenomena in a Rochdale house in 1995.  Last week, I described parallels between this case with occurrences in what is now called the Centrahoma Poltergeist case, a topic of many recent blog articles.  The Rochdale Poltergeist  also chronicles incidents that show correlations with the Centrahoma case. Th...

Know what you need to eat for glowing skin! Pic courtesy: Thinkstock Photos Image for representation purpose only. New Delhi: Dig into sprouts, kiwi, yogurt and other nutritious food items for a radiant skin, says an expert. Here are some of the beauty essentials suggested by capital-based dermatologist Navin Taneja: * Protein repairs damaged tissue. Eatables like eggs, yogurt and beans offer a good dose of protein. * Eat foods high in antioxidants that help protect your skin from damage. Cherries, blueberries and other deeply coloured berries are best source of antioxidant. They help you in fighting off blemishes. * Essential fatty acids help to retain the elasticity of the skin and are good fats which must be included in the diet. Walnut is the type of nut that contains significant amount of omega-3 fatty acid. Other great sources of fatty acids are...

Get eight-hour sleep to enhance memory New York: Do you want to better remember new names and faces? Go, hit the sack. According to researchers, people are better at remembering faces and names if they get eight-hour sound sleep after seeing those faces and names for the first time. Many different kinds of memories are improved with sleep. While a couple of studies have looked at how naps might affect our ability to learn new faces and names, no previous studies have looked at the impact of a full night of sleep in between learning and being tested. "We found that when participants were given the opportunity to have a full night's sleep, their ability to correctly identify the name associated with a face - and their confidence in their answers - significantly improved,” explained Jeanne F Duffy, associate neuroscientist at Brigham and Women'...

Air pollution level in Delhi expected to remain high New Delhi: As air quality in the national capital deteriorates further, scientists have called for strict emission norms and cleaner fuels to contain air pollution. Also Read:  Delhi air quality deteriorates, nears Diwali level As per a report from Economic Times, scientists have warned that air pollution levels in Delhi will remain high as intense smog is expected in the coming days. Also Read:  Delhi's toxic air: How to keep safe from respiratory infections! According to Gufran Beig, project director at System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), as of November 24, the levels of particulate matter 2.5 - or fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres - over Delhi has touched 229 microgram per cubic metre, up from 145 microgram on the same day last year. “It is expected that th...

Russia wants anti-IS alliance with US, France and even Turkey Paris: Russia would be prepared to "create a joint staff" to fight the Islamic State in which Moscow would work with France, the United States and even Turkey, the Russian ambassador to France said on Wednesday. "We are prepared to... Plan strikes on Daesh (IS) positions together and create a joint staff with France, the US, with all the countries who want to be in this coalition," said Alexander Orlov. He told Europe 1 radio that despite rising tensions after Turkey downed a Russian military jet on Tuesday, "if the Turks want to be in (the joint staff) as well, they are welcome". Speaking following talks at the White House between French President Francois Hollande and Barack Obama yesterday, the US president said it would be "enormously helpful" if Russia would work...

Disabled man to be hanged as Pakistan's 300th execution Islamabad: Jail authorities in Pakistan were on Tuesday set to hang a paraplegic who developed tubercular meningitis while on death row after being convicted of murder, which according to rights group will be the 300th execution since the controversial moratorium was lifted in the country. Abdul Basit, 43, who is paralysed from the waist down, was convicted in May 2009 of murder and is scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday. The Amnesty International, in its report on Tuesday, said it has recorded 299 executions since the death penalty was reinstated following a deadly attack last year on an army-run public school in Peshawar that claimed over 150 lives, mostly of children. A total of 45 people were executed in October alone, Amnesty said, making it the deadliest month since the moratorium was lifted. ...

Simple ways to burn your belly fat fast! By Salome Phelamei | Many of us struggle to get rid of that stubborn belly fat. But, do we adopt the right forms of exercise and eat the right foods that fight fat to yield great results? Also Read:   Five ways to slim down your tummy and thighs! Here are a few, yet simple tips that will help you lose stomach fat and get that sexy abs: Avoiding sugar/sweetened beverages: Studies show that added sugar has uniquely harmful effects on metabolic health. It can lead to increased accumulation of fat in the belly due to the huge amounts of fructose content in it. Various studies also show that sugar-sweetened beverages such as fruit juices, sports drinks are linked to a 60% increased risk of obesity in children. Also Read:   Quick weight loss tips: How to avo...

Helpful tips on how to manage every day stress. College can be a stressful time for anyone. Some stress pushes you to meet goals by studying more, working harder or sticking with a challenging task. But sometimes stress reaches an unhealthy level that can prevent you from functioning well and meeting your goals. Recent research from The Jed Foundation and mtvU found that over half of all college students had been, at times, so stressed that they couldn’t function during the last year. Your health, school performance and social life can all suffer when stress becomes too much to handle. That’s because stress can affect your mood and ability to think clearly. It can also weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting sick. Chronic stress can lead to — or worsen — serious health problems, including high blood pressure, autoimmune illnesses, digestive issues, depression and anxiety. So it’s important to manage stress, prevent negati...

How do you tell the difference between good stress and bad? Feeling stressed can feel perfectly normal, especially during exam time. You might notice that sometimes being stressed-out motivates you to focus on your work, yet at other times, you feel incredibly overwhelmed and can’t concentrate on anything. While stress affects everyone in different ways, there are two major types of stress: stress that’s beneficial and motivating — good stress — and stress that causes anxiety and even health problems — bad stress. Here’s more on the benefits and side effects of stress and how to tell if you’re experiencing too much stress. Benefit of Stress According to experts, stress is a burst of energy that basically advises you on what to do. In small doses, stress has many advantages. For instance, stress can help you meet daily challenges and motivates you to reach your goals. In fact, stress can help you accomplish tasks more efficiently. It can even boost m...

Country Report: Defending from the Outside - Iranian Human Rights Defenders in the Diaspora Today, 9 November,  a new report on the Human Rights Defenders of the Iranian Diaspora. The new report is based on interviews with diasporic Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) across 5 different countries in order to outline the obstacles faced by Iranian HRDs in the diaspora. For the very first time, this report assesses the immediate needs and hurdles faced by Iranian activists striving to continue their work outside Iran.  Executive Summary Much human rights work relating to Iran is done by Iranians and organisations outside Iran. These Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) are activists, academics, lawyers, scholars, artists and journalists who have left Iran due to pressures from the Government, often finding themselves unable to return. Those HRDs who are forced to leave Iran often feel that they gradually lose their connections and support...

Iran: Reports of an intensifying crackdown Over the last week, unsettling reports have emerged of the arrests of journalists, activists and cultural figures. It is reported that at least 5 journalists have been arrested by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Intelligence Unit. The exact number has yet to be confirmed. According to reports, the journalists have been accused being members of an “infiltration network,” guilty of colluding with hostile Western governments, disrespecting the Supreme Leader, and attempting to overthrow the government. Those arrested reportedly include journalist and political activist Isa Saharkhiz, Ehsan Mazandarani, managing editor of the newspaper Farhikhtegan, Afarin Chitsaz, a member of Farhikhtegan’s editorial board, and Saman Safarzaei, a member of the editorial board of the Andisheh Pouya. The name of the fifth person is unknown at this time. These arrests were followed by an unidentified employ...

Legal Analysis: Tanzania- Media Services Bill In May 2015, ARTICLE 19 reviewed the draft Tanzanian Media Services Bill, 2015 against international standards and best practices on freedom of expression, with particular reference to African regional human rights instruments. The Draft Media Services Bill, 2015 (‘the Draft Bill’) would come in the place of two existing pieces of legislation, the Newspapers Act and the Tanzania News Agency Act, both of which date to 1976. The former in particular is a controversial law which has been used to curtail freedom of expression in a number of instances, including through suspension of a number of newspapers whose coverage had angered the authorities. ARTICLE 19 has previously called for the Newspapers Act to be repealed and replaced with a progressive media law. Regrettably, our analysis finds that although the Media Services Bill would bring minor improvement in some a...

Legal Analysis: Tajikistan's Law on Television and Radio Broadcasting In August 2015, ARTICLE 19 analysed Tajikistan's Law on Television and Radio Broadcasting in the light of international standards on freedom of expression and information. Given Tajikistan’s commitment to switch from analogue to digital TV and Radio broadcasting in 2015, it is important to assess the existing law on television and radio broadcasting in order to propose recommendations that can both improve existing legislation and ensure the success of the digital switchover in a democratic society. ARTICLE 19 acknowledges that the Law has a number of positive features. In particular, it explicitly declares that its aim is to implement “freedom of expression and the rights of the citizens to receive full, reliable and operative information, to open and free discussion of social processes.” It also provides for some protection of th...

Legal Analysis: Russia's Right To Be Forgotten In August 2015, ARTICLE 19 analysed the so-called “Right To Be Forgotten” Bill of the Russian Federation (‘the Bill’), which was signed into law in July 2015 and will come into force on 1 January 2016. When introducing the Bill, Russian lawmakers referred to the 2014 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Google Spain case, arguing that Russian citizens should also enjoy a “right to be forgotten.” The Bill gives Russian citizens the right to request that search engines remove links about them that are in violation of Russian law, inaccurate, out of date, or irrelevant because of subsequent events or actions taken by the citizens. In this legal analysis, ARTICLE 19 examines the compatibility of the Bill with international standards on freedom of expression. We find that, w...

US: Kerry must pressure King of Saudi Arabia to halt execution of demonstrators On 20 November, a collection of 17 organizations and two individuals working on behalf of human rights and international religious freedom sent a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry, urging him to pressure Saudi Arabian King, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, to halt the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, along with several other demonstrators from the country's marginalized Eastern Province. On 24 October 2015, the Saudi Supreme Court ratified the sentence of death issued to Sheikh Nimr in October 2014; since September, the Saudi criminal justice system has also ratified the death sentences of Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon, and Abdullah al-Zaher, three men arrested as minors in 2012 for their protest activity. Many of the charges on which the men were convicted are not recognized by international law, and the trials of Sheikh Nimr and the others a...

Speaking More Than One Language Eases Stroke Recovery Credit: patrice6000/Shutterstock.com View full size image There are ways to reduce your risk of having a stroke — for example, you can exercise more and not smoke. But should a stroke occur, you might also be able to reduce your risk of losing brain function if you are a speaker of more than one language. In a new study, bilingual stroke patients were twice as likely as those who spoke one language to have normal cognitive functions after a stroke, according to findings reported today (Nov. 19) in the journal Stroke. The reason for the difference appears to be a feature of the brain called ...

Bright Light Therapy Can Ease Depression Symptoms Credit: A. and I. Kruk/Shutterstock.com View full size image For people with depression, using "bright light therapy" either alone or combined with an antidepressant might help treat their condition, a new study suggests. In the eight-week study of 122 people with major depression, the researchers found that people who were treated with either a bright light box or a combination of light box therapy with an antidepressant drug experienced more improvement in their symptoms than people treated with a placebo. In comparison, those treated with an antidepressant drug (without light therap...