No related posts. RED ALERT!  Pickpocket thieves are working the main bus rest stop on Highway 1 (the Pan American highway) between Cañas and San José. The Florida couple mentioned in last week’s Arenal Report had their passports stolen from an open purse when Mrs. Wollmacher was in line paying for coffee. The police responded immediately and delayed the departure of the bus. They questioned and searched the other passengers on the bus, but were unable to recover the passports. The couple’s very enjoyable visit to Costa Rica ended on a sour note as they had to wait in San José over the weekend for the U.S. Embassy to reopen on Monday to issue replacement passports. All travelers must be made aware of this unfortunate situation as this particular rest stop is used by a multitude of buses routed between Nicaragua and San José.On a positive note, after filing a police report confirming the theft of the passports (necessary to present to the U.S. Embassy), the couple was met in San José by another police officer who provided them with instructions on what to do and where to go. He arranged for transportation to the embassy and a hotel near the airport. He then assured the couple that if they had difficulty obtaining accommodations due to a lack of passports, they would be welcome to stay at his home, gratis.This is the true character of Costa Rica that we, as permanent residents, love so much. The friendliness and willingness to help others is a hallmark of the Ticos we know. The adventures and unique experiences enjoyed by the couple from Florida have elicited promises of a return visit next year – with new passports.Final reminder: A spay/neuter clinic will be held in Nuevo Arenal tomorrow, Saturday, May 25. To schedule an appointment for your dog or cat call Gino at 2694-4621. Also on Saturday additional clinics will be held in Libano at the salon communal in the morning, and in San Luis in the afternoon (salón communal).For appointments at these locations call Judy Reisman at 2695-6652. If she is not home, let her Spanish phone message play through, then leave your phone number and she will call back. If you can’t get to the Saturday clinics, Judy has coordinated one for Sunday, May 26, in Tilarán at the bull ring (Atra Salón). These much-needed clinics rely on volunteers to assist in animal registration and simple animal care before and after their surgical procedures. If you are interested in helping, let Judy or Gino know.–William & Jean Priestjean_pri@msn.com Facebook Comments read more

Comments   Share   The Malikzada family has meanwhile retreated into the agony of their loss. “We don’t eat, we don’t sleep, we cry,” said Mohammad. “If at mealtime we remember that Farkhunda liked what we’re eating, we can’t eat anymore, we just cry.”___Follow Lynne O’Donnell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lynnekodonnell.Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. In this Sunday, June 14, 2015, photo, Mohammad Nader Malikzada, 72, right, father of Farkhunda Malikzada, a young Afghan woman who was beaten to death by a mob, and his son, Najibullah Malikzada, center back, listen during an interview with The Associated Press as Mohammad’s grandchildren sit beside them at his house in Kabul, Afghanistan. The family of Farkhunda, killed by a frenzied mob in an attack that shocked the world with its brutality, are living in isolation and fear as they wait for justice they believe will never come. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini) Ex-FBI agent details raid on Phoenix body donation facility Milstead says best way to stop wrong-way incidents is driving sober New Valley school lets students pick career-path academies Natural spring cleaning tips and tricks for your home Top Stories His despair was compounded this month when Afghanistan’s Primary Court released 37 of the 49 people convicted of Farkhunda’s murder pending their appeals against sentences the family has said are too light.After a peddler at a Kabul shrine falsely accused Farkhunda of burning a Quran, a mob attacked her as police watched. After punching, kicking and beating her with wooden planks, the crowd threw her from a roof, ran over her with a car and crushed her with a block of concrete. They then set her body alight on the bank of the Kabul River.Footage of the attack captured on cellphones circulated online, and the killing fueled widespread outrage. Protesters demanding women’s rights and judicial reform carried posters showing Farkhunda’s bloody face and held candlelight vigils. Her killing was re-enacted outside the shrine on the 40th day of her death by activists determined to keep her memory alive.But in the months since then, Farkhunda’s family — elderly parents and most of her seven sisters and two brothers, their wives and children — say they have been neglected by those who sought to use her name to further their own interests.Fearing violence, kidnapping, or retribution from police or members of the mob who have been released, they rarely leave the house. The adults don’t go to work, and the children no longer go to school or university. “What will happen if the children cannot go to school? Will they be illiterate?” said Najibullah, Farkhunda’s 37-year-old brother. Quick workouts for men Here’s how to repair and patch damaged drywall KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The family of an Afghan woman killed by a frenzied mob in an attack that shocked the world with its brutality is living in isolation and fear as they wait for justice they believe will never come.Since Farkhunda Malikzada was killed on March 19, life has come to a standstill for those she left behind, said her father, 72-year-old Mohammad Nader Malikzada.“We cannot live a normal life, our children cannot go to school or college, we can’t even go shopping,” he told The Associated Press. “We are under such psychological pressure. It is hell in this house,” Farkhunda’s mother Bibi Hajira, said she feels their lives are in constant danger. “We want to see justice and we want to be moved to a safe place,” she said. “I don’t have power or money to fight for it.”In the days after Farkhunda’s murder, family members met with First Lady Rula Ghani, who said the “horrible, barbaric tragedy” had highlighted how violent Afghan society has become after more than 30 years of war.At the murder trial, four people were found guilty and sentenced to death. Charges against 18 men were dropped for lack of evidence, and eight others were sentenced to 16 years in prison. Of 19 policemen charged with dereliction of duty, eight were acquitted due to lack of evidence, and 11 were sentenced to one year in prison. This month, the Appeals Court upheld a decision to release 37 defendants ahead of their appeals.“These decisions are completely unacceptable,” said Mohammad. “Anyone who witnessed this brutal killing of an innocent girl and stood by and did nothing, they are also guilty,” he said. “All these people have been freed, others who were clearly involved have not been arrested.” Sponsored Stories How men can have a healthy 2019 read more

Share Blacks Hispanics Mortgage Access Mortgage Denial Zillow 2015-11-05 Staff Writer November 5, 2015 434 Views Eased credit access is allowing more people to be eligible for mortgage loans, especially among middle-income blacks and Hispanics, but despite the uptick, they still lag behind in the housing market recovery.Mortgage denial rates are down and the percentage of U.S. mortgage applicants getting approved has increased for all borrowers, but most notably among the black and Hispanic races, according to Zillow’s analysis of mortgage access and homeownership by race.Zillow noted that this indicates “that easing mortgage restrictions are making it easier for more Americans to become homeowners.”However, this progression does not mean these races have fully recovered from crisis times. Zillow reported that despite notable differences in lending to black and Hispanic borrowers, they still lag behind whites and Asians in the housing recovery.In 2013, 27.6 percent of blacks who applied for a conventional home loan did not get approved, while in 2014, 23.5 percent were denied, according to the most recent federal data released under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. Overall, in 2013, the denial rate was 12.4 percent and fell to 11.2 percent in 2013.The Zillow analysis showed that “despite that improvement, there is still significant disparity in mortgage access among racial groups.”Source: ZillowBlacks comprised 12 percent of the U.S. population in 2014, but made up only 3 percent of conventional loan applicants, the data found. In addition, only 2.5 percent of those were actually approved for a conventional loan.Meanwhile, Hispanics make up 17.3 percent of the U.S. population, Zillow says. They represent 6.1 percent of applicants and 5.5 percent of approved applicants for conventional loans.On the other hand, whites make up 62 percent of the population, 69.5 percent of conventional loan applicants, and 71.9 percent of those approved for conventional loans.Asian neighborhoods have “far outpaced” others in housing appreciation since the housing market crash, the report showed. In these neighborhoods, homes are worth 11.9 percent more than they were at the peak of the housing bubble.White neighborhoods have almost recovered to their top home values at only 4.7 percent under the peak. Hispanic communities remain 20.3 percent below peak values, while black communities are 16.7 percent below their peak.Click here to view the full report. Mortgage Access Becoming More Prevalent Among Blacks & Hispanics in Daily Dose, Data, Headlines, Market Studies, News, Origination read more

Travellers Choice announced its financial performance for 2016/17 on Friday, posting a pre-tax operating profit of $1.92m, and maintaining the Company’s record of returning a profit every year of its 40-year history.“We are now looking at a variety of investment options that will maximise the long-term return for the Company and its members,” said Travellers Choice Managing Director Christian Hunter.Hunter said the Company’s total income decreased by 5% for the financial year, primarily reflecting a softening of airfare prices.“We saw an increase in the number of airline tickets processed year-on-year, but a decline in the average cost of airfares impacted overall revenue generated by our airline agreements. “After four consecutive years of record profits, this trend, combined with additional investments during 2016/17 in our expanding range of digital support services, has resulted in a 5% fall in total pre-tax profit.“With airfare prices firming, positive forward sales across the Travellers Choice network, and new high-calibre member shareholders set to join the fold, the Company is well positioned for profit growth in the year ahead.”The 2016/17 profit – excluding a contribution from the sale of the Company’s shareholding in the Worldwide Independent Travel Network (WIN) – will now be returned directly to the national retail network’s members, who remain the Company’s sole shareholders.Hunter says the Travellers Choice Board has opted to retain the income from the WIN shareholding in order to invest in development projects. Travellers Choice read more

State Rep. Dave Maturen, R-Vicksburg, issued the following statement on MDOT’s I-94 Corridor Evaluation for Southwest Michigan:“Today, there was a well-attended meeting of officials from MDOT and state police, as well as state, county, and municipal officials from the surrounding Kalamazoo area to discuss the safety and future of the Southwest Michigan portion of Interstate 94. MDOT suggestions include many operational and safety measures that can be taken now or in the very near future within the existing lane alignment.“This meeting concerned a scope much broader than just the area where the major accident near Galesburg occurred. We have had issues along this stretch of I-94 for years. Significant changes are suggested, and I sincerely hope that MDOT’s recommendations create a safe environment for all commuters in Southwest Michigan.“I look forward to reviewing the entire audit document and receiving projections from MDOT about the cost to implement some of the longer-term solutions to the issues facing the I-94 corridor from the Indiana state line to Jackson.”###Editor’s Note: Rep. Maturen serves Michigan’s 63rd House District, which includes portions of Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties. Rep Maturen serves the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The audit by MDOT can be found at the following link: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/I-94CorridorEvaluationFINALREPORT_11-25-15_507041_7.pdf. Categories: Maturen News,News 30Nov Rep. Maturen statement on MDOT evaluation of I-94 read more

Categories: Farrington News,Farrington Photos 18Mar Rep. Farrington welcomes local pastor to lead House invocation State Rep. Diana Farrington of Utica welcomed Pastor Chris Troxel (center) to the state Capitol to lead Thursday’s invocation for the Michigan House of Representatives. Troxel serves as the associate pastor of Christian growth at Trinity Lutheran Church in Utica. Joining them at the rostrum is Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield.

Toshiba has partnered with Rovi Corporation in a deal that will see it launch a range of digital TVs certified for DivX Plus Streaming.The move will enable Toshiba TVs to support entertainment services from over-the-top providers such as UK retailer Dixons’ KnowHow Movies service, which is powered by Rovi’s technology.DivX Plus Streaming is designed to bring Blu-ray style features to streaming media, offering multi-language subtitles and audio tracks, smooth rewind and fast-forward, chapter navigation and resolution scaling to cut down on buffering.In November 2012 Rovi launched a new version of its DivX Plus software to support streaming for the first time, and this March it signed two Chinese DivX deals that saw the video technology integrated into Changhong digital TVs and Philips-branded TVs set for distribution in the country. read more

Arjan HoekstraDiscovery Networks International has named Eurosport exec Arjan Hoekstra as its new Asia-Pacific chief as former boss Tom Keaveny moves to London for a new global role.Hoekstra will be become president and managing director, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific on September 1. He’ll based in Singapore at DNI’s local hub and report into Mark Hollinger, president and CEO, DNI.He joins from Eurosport, of which Discovery owns 20%, where he was managing director, Asia-Pacific, and based in Hong Kong. The role also covered Eurosportnews Distribution Asia-Pacific.The news comes after DTVE’s sister publication TBI revealed Discovery’s former Asia-Pacific boss Tom Keaveny was moving to DNI’s London base to become president of affiliate sales. The newly created role encompassed some of the duties formerly performed by senior VP and general manager, distribution for EMEA, Caleb Weinsten. As reported in April, TBI understands Weinstein has exited the Discovery’s global arm.Hoekstra, meamwhile, has been with Eurosport since 1994, working across a variety of roles.“We are excited to have Arjan join our executive team,” said Hollinger.  “His strong management skills, his affiliate and sales experience and his deep relationships in the region will serve us very well as we look to expand our already successful business there further. Throughout his career at Eurosport, he was always looking for ways to innovate and develop new service offerings to his clients, and I look forward to his bringing this kind of ingenuity to Discovery’s portfolio in the marketplace.”Besides Hoekstra’s appointment, DNI has also handed Rahul Johri an expanded role as senior VP and general manager, South Asia and head of revenue, pan-regional ad sales and Southeast Asia. Johri is credited with recently launching Discovery Kids in India.“Rahul has built a very successful Indian business for us during his time with Discovery,” said Hollinger. read more

UK cable operator Virgin Media has unveiled a new TV measurement tool, ranking shows based on live and on-demand viewing figures and viewer response on social networks. Virgin Media said ‘The Hotlist’ is designed to give “alternative insights into the full connected digital entertainment experience enjoyed by people today.”Using an algorithm, which Virgin says has been verified by experts at the London School of Economics, the measurement system takes into account both live viewing figures and on-demand requests through Virgin, along with engagement and viewer sentiment, gleaned from sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.“With TiVo, we are helping people find the very best content available whilst the rise of social media and second screens is also fuelling a whole new wave of engagement with TV through friends and social circles online. The Hotlist looks to capture that buzz and provide insight into what’s hot on TV right now,” said Nick Forward, director of TV at Virgin Media.Based on viewing, engagement and sentiment, Virgin gives shows a score out of 10. For May, Virgin said The Graham Norton Show and Britain’s Got Talent were the hottest shows, each with a ranking of seven. Following this were Doctor Who and the FA Cup Final, which received scores of six. read more

Multiscreen technology provider Clearleap has partnered with TV payment experts PayWizard to introduce billing integration and subscription services on connected devices.Clearleap said the PayWizard deal will allow it to offer single-click payments to content owners and operators across a range of platforms – including online, tablets, smartphones, connected TVs and digital set-top boxes.“Content owners and operators are constantly under pressure to attract new customers and deliver a compelling user experience. Integration with PayWizard allows us to weave together all the technologies required to deliver a solution that enhances the overall end user experience while allowing our customers to experiment with new OTT monetization,” said Braxton Jarratt, CEO, Clearleap.

Patrick Bradley will head up Station 12, a new media and entertainment investment firm that will back fast-growing companies in the sector.Bradley is the former boss of Ingenious Ventures, the private investment business that has backed 19 Entertainment and DRG among others. Patrick McKenna, the entrepreneur behind Ingenious, will advise the new firm.The founders of Station 12 claim it is the only investment company in Europe providing capital for fast-growing media companies to expand. It will work across TV, film, publishing, gaming and events sectors.The London-based fund aims to raise £150 million (€181 million), commencing its first fundraise this summer. The investment team has already identified a pipeline of potential investments, into which the average initial investment will be about £10 million.The company, which launched this month, said it has identified a gap in European media and entertainment financing, which is holding back growth across the continent. There are plenty of options for media start-ups seeking funding, but none for companies reaching the next stage and seeking follow-on investment.“Unlike the European technology market, which has deep resources of expansion capital, our media and entertainment sectors remain under-served by capital and operational expertise required to support long term success,” Bradley said. “Station 12 intends to fill this gap and become the pre-eminent investor in the space.” read more

French transmission services provider TDF has acquired Ad Valem, a company specialising in live event broadcasts.TDF has acquired 100% control of Ad Valem, which offers OTT  and IPTV solutions as well as satellite broadcast services for live sports and cultural events. The company operates its own fibre network, two teleports and a fleet of outside broadcast vehicles. Its network covers over 60 stadia and venues.The company was founded by Marc Kapustin and Laurent Maurin, who owned a 64% stake along with a 36% stake held by Ventech and A+ Finance. It reported revenues of €5.9 million for 2014,TDF CEO Oliver Huart said that the acquisition represented a “key stage that allows TDF to extend its experitise and encirch its service offering. Ad Valen is a leading player that possesses an expertise that is unique and complementary to that of TDF”.Kapustin said that the deal “opens a new chapter in the history of the company and highlighted the recognition of its technological excellence”. read more

Altice has completed the sale of Portuguese cable operator Cabovisão and business-focused telco Oni Telecom to funds led by Apax France.The sale was forced on Altice to secure regulatory approval for its €7.4 million acquisition of Portugal Telecom. Cabovisão is Portugal’s second largest cable operator after Nos and has about 200,000 subscribers out of 900,000 homes passed. Altice acquired the company for about €45 million five uyears ago. It acquired Oni Telecom for €80 million 21013.

Yahoo-owned blogging platform Tumblr is gearing up to launch a new live video service today, according to cryptic messages posted to the site.A livevideo.tumblr.com domain now hosts a number of short video clips that include the message “live video on Tumblr launches June 21, 2016”.Though details of the service have not been formally announced, the first broadcast appears to be scheduled for 4:00pm Eastern Standard Time.Titles of these apparent broadcasts include ‘we will broadcast live from the surface of mars’ and ‘a Harlem Globetrotter will teach you how to basketball’.New of Tumblr’s live video plans was reported first by Techcruch and could see the blogging service go up against services like Facebook Live and Twitter’s Periscope.US web portal Yahoo! has agreed to buy blog platform Tumblr for US$1.1 billion (€855 million) in May 2013. read more

The OrvilleFox Networks Group has signed a new multi-year deal with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution to secure exclusive content for Fox in Norway, Finland and Sweden alongside enhanced on-demand rights.The deal will see new shows including X-Men universe series The Gifted, sci-fi series The Orville and supernatural-themed Ghosted made available to Fox’s Nordic viewers alongside catalogue titles including Family Guy. Some shows such as American Dad, New Girl, Modern Family and The Simpsons will only be available in specific markets.Fox operates pay TV channels Fox, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild and Baby TV in the Nordic region, alongside on-demand service Fox+, which it launched at the start of this year in the region in partnership with Modern Times Group’s Viaplay SVOD platform.“The new deal is another milestone in the long-running relationship between the Fox channels in the Nordics and 20th Century Fox Television Distribution, and the calibre of these new titles will fit perfectly alongside the award-winning scripted series we pride ourselves on bringing exclusively to our viewers” said Hans van Rijn, general manager, Fox Networks Group Nordics.“At the start of the year we jointly launched Fox+ across the Nordics with an impressive slate of new and established US dramas and comedies. Now we are thrilled to bring some of the best series to screens across the Nordics available both on TV and on demand.” read more

Channel 4’s Ian Katz has appointed Kelly Webb-Lamb to the new role of deputy director of programmes and head of popular factual, as changes at the UK broadcaster continue.Kelly Webb-LambWebb-Lamb’s appointment marks Katz’s first recruit since his surprise hire as director of programmes in October last year.Katz, who was a news executive working for the BBC and the Guardian newspaper, effectively replaced C4’s former chief creative officer Jay Hunt.In the new role, Webb-Lamb will work alongside Katz to develop C4’s overall creative strategy and will lead the channel’s on-screen diversity and inclusion strategy.The factual entertainment, features and daytime commissioning teams will report to Webb-Lamb, in addition to the creative diversity team headed by Angela Chan and the nations and regions team headed by Deborah Dunnett.The news comes as C4’s features head Gill Wilson winds down her role to depart in April. It has been stated that she will be departing to take a career break and spend time with her family, with the decision being made at the end of 2017 before Katz joined.C4 will now be recruiting for a head of features and head of factual entertainment, with both roles reporting to Webb-Lamb.Following the departure of Ralph Lee at the end of 2017, C4 will also be recruiting for a head of factual, who will report directly to Katz. It will also look for a head of specialist factual, who, alongside head of documentaries Nick Mirsky, will report into the head of factual.The channel is also currently recruiting for a Dispatches prorgramme starnd editor, following Daniel Pearl’s departure in December.Katz said of Webb-Lamb’s new role: “Kelly is one of the pre-eminent creative leaders in television and has a unique ability to find the sweet spot where public service themes meet popular ideas. She has a track record of championing new ideas and nurturing diverse new voices and I’m delighted she’ll be working alongside me to develop Channel 4’s creative strategy.“Gill has made an immense contribution to the success of Channel 4 over the last five years and leaves the features slate in very strong health. In the short time I’ve worked alongside Gill I‘ve been bowled over by the passion she has for her programmes.“She will be much missed and I am particularly grateful to her for agreeing to stay on at the channel for a few months to help me make the transition to Horseferry Road.”Channel 4’s future remains in flux with the British government determined to move it from its traditional London home to another city, with Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol all touted as new bases. read more

There has been a flurry of merger and acquisition activity in Europe and the UK recently as incumbent media companies look to insure themselves against the threat of new digital players gaining market share. The latest news is that Comcast has agreed to buy Sky for £29.7 billion, while 21st Century Fox is planning on selling its remaining stake in Sky to Comcast for £11.6 billion. However, the new organisation will need to ensure it retains a close eye on revenue and avoid opaque processes to deliver the best return on investment.The direction of takeovers is mainly coming from the US as already established broadcasters look to new markets abroad to drive revenues at a time of increasing competition in the media industry. Comcast’s takeover of Sky represents a strategic move to drive new revenues in a UK market with further room for growth and to better access other markets in the rest of Europe. Key to the industry’s success is that the advertising ecosystem that UK media organisations have nurtured for the country isn’t disturbed.Traditional broadcasters are now changing their approach to better compete with digital media organisations that are taking market share and are able to deliver content directly to consumers when and where they want it. In response, broadcasters are now directly competing with OTT players online, diversifying into new markets both domestically and abroad or looking at new strategic partnerships with other broadcasters. This is creating a diversity of expectation from consumers – some of whom are loyal to the brands of broadcasters they grew up with and others who want all their content delivered on an “on demand” basis.The UK is forward thinking with its ad inventory, hosted by some of the most innovative media companies in the world. The BBC’s iPlayer was one of the first viable online media players and stood apart for its focus on quality and accessibility which inspired the creators of Netflix to aim higher. Beyond publicly funded organisations, UK media outlets, advertisers and consumers embrace innovation but still manage to find the right balance in the market between compelling content and engaging ad inventory. However, US media companies and UK media companies will need to work together closely to avoid upsetting the apple cart.According to research we conducted recently with OnePoll, over half of UK consumers are worried about the arrival of US companies to the UK media market and 43% are concerned it will lead to more advertising being shown. In fact, restrictions on the number of ads that can be shown are already in place by regulators such as Ofcom. Beyond that media organisations will have to decide which ads should be shown to which consumers at which times and understand how much revenue they are generating as a result. They don’t want anything to happen that is going to prompt a change in advertising’s engagement or that changes the consumer experience for the worse.Following an acquisition or merger, UK media professionals will want process to be diligently followed and for sales data and format to seamlessly align. It is in the best interest of all concerned to ensure legacy systems are integrated quickly so that advertisers can best reach audiences across all their properties. Local regulation for each property must also be followed, pertaining to both the types of content that can be shown under local laws and how user data can legitimately be stored and moved.The opportunity that exists is that, if done correctly, a UK and US media merger could bring about change for the positive. Success for UK and US media companies can be gained by adopting the best approach from each other and maximising the potential of each other’s markets to drive ultimate return on investment. However, this will require complete visibility into workflows and advertising revenue and seamless management across all media properties to unlock their full potential.Mark Gorman is CEO, Matrix Solutions read more

A police spokesperson said: “Removing these drugs from our community is saving lives.”POLICE SEIZE £150,000 WORTH OF DRUGS IN DERRY was last modified: December 13th, 2016 by John2John2 Tags: Police picture show drugs seized by Tactical Support Group on Saturday night in the Foyle area of DerryCOPS are jubilant after taking a massive haul of drugs off the streets of Derry.Police officers from its Tactical Support Group (TSG) conducted a house search in Foyle on Saturday night.During that search, a large amount of drugs with an approximate value of £150,000. foyleOOO WORTH OF DRUGS IN DERRYPOLICE SEIZE £15OTACTICAL SUPPORT GROUP ShareTweet

“This became of pressing concern when the PSNI contacted us to say that they believed these fentanyl type drugs may now be available in Northern Ireland. “Some of them can be 10,000 time stronger than heroin,” she said. Fentanyl is sometimes used in the sedation of large animals, including elephants. However, it can be extremely toxic to humans, with some types 50-100 times more powerful than heroin, while a strain called carfentanyl is 10,000 times more potent. “There could be a big increase in overdose deaths as a result of this.” ShareTweet Victoria Creasy from the Public Health Agency warned that the drug could prove fatal to heroin users. The PHA has said that there are medicines available for those who fear they have taken the drug and have provided a list of symptoms to look out for on their website.The drug fentanyl being mixed with heroin into a deadly cocktail CARFENTANYLCHIEF MEDICAL OFFICERDR MICHAEL MCBRIDEFENTANYLHEALTH CHIEFS WARNING OVER DEADLY HEROIN MIX FOR SALE IN NORTHPublic Health AgencyVICTORIA CREASY THERE are fears that a drug being mixed into heroin being sold in the North of Ireland could be up to “10,000 times more powerful” as the heroin itself. “Even a tiny, tiny amount mixed with heroin, could kill you.” The PSNI declined to provide comment on the drug blend. “We are really trying to get a message out to anyone who uses heroin, who knows anyone who uses heroin and say ‘you need to exercise extreme caution at this time if you are taking heroin.’ HEALTH CHIEFS WARNING OVER DEADLY HEROIN MIX FOR SALE IN NORTH was last modified: May 17th, 2017 by John2John2 Tags: The issue came to light after a letter from the North’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride issued a letter to health departments here highlighting the issue. read more

ShareTweet Neither were injured but they have been left badly shaken.The Racecourse Road was closed at its junctions with Old School Lane and Bradleys Pass for follow  up an forensic examinations.Sinn Féin Councillor Sandra Duffy has condemned those responsible for firing shots into a house just off the Racecourse Road in Derry tonight.The house in Racecourse Park was attacked just after 7pm. Sinn Fein councillor Sandra Duffy condemns gun attack on homeDETECTIVES are investigating after gunmen used the cover of Hallowe’en celebrations to fire shots at a house Derry last night.It is believed two shots were fired in the attack in Racecourse Park at about 6.30 pm.Two women were in the house at the time of the gun attack. Councillor Duffy said: .“This must have been a very frightening experience for everyone caught up in this shooting incident.“It’s very sad that when tens of thousands of people were out tonight at the Halloween Festival in the city centre that others were trying to drag our society backwards and bringing guns onto our streets“It’s clear those responsible have nothing to offer society and are at war with the community.“There can be no justification for such actions and I would encourage anyone with information about this incident to bring it forward to the police,” she added.CONDEMNATION AFTER WOMEN CHEAT INJURY IN DERRY GUN ATTACK was last modified: November 1st, 2017 by John2John2 Tags: Bradley’s PassCONDEMNATION AFTER WOMEN CHEAT IN JURY IN DERRY GUN ATTACKPSNIRACECOURS PARKsandra duffySINN FEIN COUNCILLOR read more