Helmut Schmidt - Rare German Chancellor

Today in the afternoon, Helmut Schmidt, who served from 1974 to 1982 as a Chancellor for the Federal Republic of Germany, has died at the age of 96 in his home town of Hamburg.

Mr Schmidt, who was a Social Democrat, is being considered as an architect of the European Monetary System, which linked EU currencies and was a key step on the path to the euro.

In 1979, Schmidt's support of an installation of U.S. medium-range nuclear missiles on German territory after the preceding installation of similar Soviet missiles in East Germany earned him harsh protests from a strong leftist movement, especially from German students fearing that any military engagement between the Cold War enemies could turn Germany into a nuclear desert. Only much later, when the last Soviet leader Gorbachev and U.S. president Reagan signed their Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on the Washington Summit of 1987, it became clear that German Chancellor Schmidt had taken the right decision at his time, as Soviet nukes would not have been removed if there had not been, as well, U.S. nukes installed on German soil.

Chancellor Helmut Schmidt was credited with helping to consolidate the country's post-war economic boom. Furthermore, he is seen as one of the most popular German leaders since World War II.




Schmidt at the beginning of his political career
when he was Senator of the Interior in the local
government of Hamburg Fed. State. During the
devastating floodings drowning Hamburg town
in 1962, he proved his consequent management
that earned him respect from all over Germany.



Helmut Schmidt, Herbert Wehner and Willy Brandt
(left to right), the Social-Democrats' leading "troika".
W. Brandt was Schmidt's predecessor in the office
of a Chancellor for the German Federal Republic.



Helmut Schmidt and his wife "Loki"
who died only some years earlier.



While public smoking steadily became restricted,
he could rarely be seen without a cigarette in his
hand and which made of him, even more, some
kind of symbol for a fighting spirit.

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Chinese visitor from Guangzhou (Canton) that once became one of the few doors into China
for Western visitors who wanted to know more about the People's Republic of Mao Ze Dong.

Helmut Schmidt was always curious about the changes in China. His personal interest in the country and its 1.4 billion people never ceased. Just a few weeks ago, he was still asking questions about the new China. Nobody would have held it against him if at the age of 96 he had mulled over his experiences with Mao & Co, but Schmidt believed it was important to rethink his impressions of China over and over again. His interest in the country dated back to the 1950s.

At the end of the 60s and in the early 70s, he traveled around China as defense minister. At the time, it was not acceptable for Western politicians to simply travel directly to Beijing. He was chancellor when he met Mao Zedong in 1975.

[Quotation from an article published by Deutsche Welle]

Metrojet 9268 - What Happened ?

Important Update for November 7 added further down !

In the days following the aircraft disaster of Metrojet 9268, bound from Sharm El-Sheikh to Saint Petersburg on October 31, 2015, the Arabic press was chewing on different, rather odd circumstances that might have been related to the crash of an Airbus A-321.

When the plane broke apart in mid-air, thus causing the death of 224 passengers and crew members, wild and curious theories were spread.



أي تفسير لصدفة غريبة عن طائرة مصرية والطائرة الروسية؟

How to interpret a strange coincidence [between the
case of] an Egyptian plane and the Russian plane?

ركاب الروسية 217 وسقطت في 31 أكتوبر، وفيه سقطت طائرة مصرية بعدد الأشخاص نفسه

On October 31, 217 Russian passengers crashed, and an
Egyptian plane crashed with [lots] of people in it.

من غرائب الصدف، واحدة دموية عن طائرتين، الفارق بينهما 15 سنة تماما، لكن ما يجمعهما أكثر بكثير: روسية سقطت السبت 31 أكتوبر 2015 فوق سيناء وركابها 217 شخصاً، ومصرية سقطت الأحد 31 أكتوبر 1999 فوق الماء، وعليها 217 شخصاً أيضاً.ـ

It's a strange coincidence and especially bloody [for] two airplanes, 15 years apart from each other, however with lots of [passengers]: The Russian one that crashed with 217 passengers over Sinai on October 31, 2015, and the Egyptian one that crashed with 217 people, as well, over the sea on October 31, 1999.

One of them found a strange coincidence with the crash of an Egypt Air plane and which had perished exactly 15 years ago on October 31, 1999, leaving 217 persons dead. It should be noted that 217 was as well the official death toll of the Metrojet disaster at that time and which was later changed to 224. Interesting about that case is the fact that in 1999 U.S. and Egyptian investigations came to different conclusions as to the reason of Egypt Air flight 990 crashing shortly after its departure from New York into international waters. While U.S. authorities offered convincing evidence that a co-pilot of Egypt Air had deliberately crashed the plane after having been licensed for misbehaviour shortly before the flight, Egyptian authorities found it too embarrassing to accept such explication. They instead presented a rather technically based cause for the air crash.



زائر من الفضاء ربما شطر الطائرة الروسية في الجو

A visitor from space was probably tearing apart the Russian plane in the air.

كويكب مر السبت قرب الأرض قد يكون المسبب بتمزق هيكل "الإيرباص 321" المنكوبة

An asteroid passing near the Earth on Saturday might be the cause
of structural fragmentation of the unfortunate Airbus A-321.

Another theory, even more odd than the first, was based on the fact that on October 31, i.e. on Halloween Day, the so-called "Halloween Asteroid" or "Great Pumpkin", officially named 2015 TB145, should have made its closest approach to the Earth. However, a "Sci-News" report said that no harm was to be expected from the asteroid. In such cases I tend to put more faith into scientific results than into wild speculations of some debris from an asteroid crashing into the Metrojet airliner.

Putting all those theories aside, one thing, at least, seems to be clear: There should have been no missile attack by Egyptian insurgents, as they don't possess the means to get down an airliner from 9000 m altitude. This is what different military circles, not only those from Egypt, are pointing out.



أوباما: هناك احتمال بوجود قنبلة في الطائرة الروسية

Obama: There is some probability of a bomb existing in the Russian plane.

القاهرة وموسكو تعتبران التصريحات البريطانية والأميركية "مجرد استنتاجات"ـ

Kairo and Moscow are considering the proclamations
of Britain and the U.S. as a "poor conclusion".

As to the actual U.S. evaluation blaming the Islamic State ISIL for having brought down the Russian passenger plane with a bomb: This now seems to be a more probable cause for the Metrojet air crash. News sources on September 5, 2015, are even hinting at the support of such bombing by some ground staff at Sharm El-Sheikh airport.

Having experienced the passport checks and security controls at Sharm El-Sheikh airport only recently, I cannot help to support such theory. Even though passenger controls are meeting international standard, there are many, maybe too many, members of the Egyptian tourist board moving freely within the controlled zone of the airport. I don't want to blame anyone special, but it took me by surprise when, at my arrival, one of those guys managed to get me through the passport control, just exchanging some words with the official in charge to make him stamp my passport, and by simply passing a dozen other passengers waiting in a line for their immigration check. Same happened at the final security check, immediately in front of the airport exit. As I arrived in the middle of the night, I was not embarrassed at all but grateful for such treatment. And, of course, there was no real harm done to security needs because all luggage is being checked again at the entrance of any hotel before it can be moved into the hotel lobby. As to the departure control, I remember as well two security checks, one at the entrance to the check-in counters and the other after the passport check. I even experienced a double passport-check, same kind as is being practised in Istanbul, Turkey, even for transit passengers.

Altogether I cannot blame Egyptian officials for being unprofessional. However, access to the controlled area of Sharm El-Sheikh airport should be restricted to only a few "tourist guides" that are really needed. And even in the frame of extended security needs, it is wise to remember that this is the Orient where things are not always happening as we are used to. Instead, we should face the fact that even the tightest control cannot exclude a final risk we all have to live with.

Latest News on November 7, 2015: CNN Report: Black boxes show bomb brought down Russian jet

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South China Sea - US Troubling the Water

Artificial island belonging to the Spratley archipelago (left), and the
U.S. convoy that violated what China claims to be its territory (right)

Recent U.S. navy activities in the neighbourhood of the disputed Spratley Islands 南沙群岛 and China's official response are reminding a long-standing South China Sea conflict that involves not only the U.S. and China but all neighbouring nations as well. China's stance: Why troubling the water for nothing ?




王毅外长：奉劝美方不要无事生非

Foreign Minister Wang Yi: We encourage the U.S. not to make trouble out of nothing.

人民网10月27日电 据外交部网站消息，中国外交部长王毅今天在北京出席中日韩研讨会期间，针对有境外媒体问及“美军将派遣军舰进入中国南海岛礁12海里”一事表示，关于此事，中方正在核实当中，如果属实，奉劝美方三思而后行，不要轻举妄动，不要无事生非。

On October 27, People's Network reported the news based on a website of [China's] ministry of foreign affairs. Today [i.e. Oct. 27], China's foreign minister Wang Yi is presiding a Chinese-Japanese-Korean round of discussions in Beijing.

On that occasion he has mentioned foreign media reports about the U.S. navy entering China's 12-mile zone in the South China Sea.

CNN report on October 27, 2015

We encourage the U.S. to think thrice before acting, not to take reckless action, and not to make trouble out of nothing.


中方一向尊重和维护各国依国际法在南海享有的航行和飞越自由，但坚决反对任何国家以航行和飞越自由为名，损害中国主权和安全利益。

When it comes to enjoy navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, the Chinese side consistently respected and defended each country's freedom according to international law. But we resolutely oppose any country's damaging China's sovereignty and security interests in the name of that freedom of navigation and overflight.

[Source: People's Network 人民网 on October 27, 2015]

Syria - Russia's New Policy

Last Update: October 25, 2015



لافروف: مستعدون لدعم الحر ضد داعش في سوريا

Lavrov: Prepared to support the 'free' [i.e. the Syrian Free Army] against ISIL in Syria.

أكد أنه حان الوقت للاستعداد لاجراء انتخابات رئاسية وبرلمانية في سوريا

He confirmed that the time has come to prepare for a realisation
of presidential and parliamentary elections in Syria.

أعلن وزير الخارجية الروسي سيرغي لافروف السبت أن القوات الجوية الروسية في سوريا مستعدة لتقديم غطاء للجيش السوري الحر، المدعوم من الغرب والذي يقاتل ضد الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد، لمواجهة تنظيم داعش.ـ

On Saturday [October 24], Russia's foreign minister Sergej Lavrov informed that Russia's air force in Syria is ready to offer cover in the confrontation of ISIL organization [benefitting] the Free Syrian Army who are supported by the West and fighting against Syria's president Basher Al-Assad.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 24, 2015]




لافروف يدعو إلى التحضير لانتخابات تشريعية ورئاسية في سوريا

Lavrov calls for the preparation of legislative and presidential elections in Syria.

[Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi القدس العربي, Palestinian daily on October 24, 2015]

叙利亚—俄国的新政策

بالفيديو.. داعش يعدم عسكريا من نظام الأسد دهسا بالدبابة

On video ..... ISIL executes soldier of the Assad regime by crushing him under a tank.

أظهر شريط مصور عناصر من تنظيم "داعش" وهم يعدمون عسكريا من قوات النظام السوري بوساطة دبابة، وأظهر الشريط، العنصر وهو يرتدي "اللباس البرتقالي" ويجثي على ركبتيه، وقال في اعترافاته إن اسمه فادي عمار زيدان ويبلغ من العمر 19 عاماً وينحدر من قرية سيانو بمنطقة جبلة في ريف اللاذقية الجنوبي، بحسب ما نشره المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان.ـ

Prior to his execution, the 19-year-old Assad trooper told his name was Fadi Ammar Zeidan and that he came from a village in the countryside of Southern Latakia.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 25, 2015]

Syria - Assad Seeking Russia's Help

After military losses of his Iranian allies on Syria's battlefields, Assad is now on a visit to Moscow, thus strenghening his ties with Russia, the only ally left to provide enough fire power for another temporary survival of his regime.



هل طلب الأسد من بوتين تقليص دور إيران بسوريا؟
رئيس النظام السوري لم يشرك معاونيه في مباحثاته في موسكو

What did Assad expect from Putin when Iran's role in Syria was shrinking ?
The president of the Syrian regime does not involve his assistants in his Moscow talks.

في لقائه مع الرئيس السوري أعلن الرئيس الروسي فلاديمير بوتين أن بلاده ستدعم نظام الأسد في "مكافحة الإرهاب" الذي يتصدى له الشعب السوري على مدار السنوات الماضية، وأن موسكو ستواصل جهودها في تسوية الأزمة السورية عبر السبل السياسية. الرئيسان بحثا خلف أبواب موصدة سبل القضاء على "المجموعات المتطرفة"، والعمليات العسكرية الروسية ودعم العمليات الهجومية للجيش السوري، كما ناقشت القمة الروسية السورية أبرز محاور التسوية السياسية في سوريا لإخراج سوريا من أزمتها الراهنة.ـ

In his meeting with the Syrian president, Russia's president Vladimir Putin made clear that his country will support the Assad regime in a "combat of the terrorism" which has been attacking the Syrian people during the last years, and that Moscow will sustain its efforts for a solution of the Syrian crisis by political means. The two presidents discussed behind closed doors ways of eliminating the "extremist groups", Russia's military operations and the support of offensive operations for the Syrian army. The Russian-Syrian summit also discussed the promotion of a dialogue for the political settlement in Syria to make Syria get out of its current crisis.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on Wednesday October 21, 2015]

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Rare visitor from Iran and who is interested in the current blogspot !

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While the regime of Assad is still enjoying support from Iran and Russia just to survive, the Syrian Kurds are being regarded as trustworthy allies by the U.S. Obama administration and are finally receiving support in their fight against the Islamic State ISIL in Syria.



الأكراد يعلنون عن إقليم جديد شمال سوريا

The Kurds declared [having installed] a new territory in northern Syria

قال مسؤول كردي، اليوم الأربعاء، إن الإدارة الكردية في سوريا أعلنت عن إقليم جديد أو "كانتون" في شمال البلاد، بحسب ما نقلته وكالة رويترز.ـ

On Wednesday [i.e. October 21], a Kurdish official said the Kurdish administration in Syria had declared [having installed] a new territory or "canton" in the northern part of the country, according to what Reuters [news] agency reported.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 21, 2015]

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عناصر البيشمركة بدأوا يستخدمون الأقنعة الواقية من الغازات السامة بعد هجوم داعش
Arabic title for above picture: Members of the [Kurdish] Peshmerga
begin to use gas masques [against] toxic gases after an ISIL attack.

داعش يختبر السلاح الكيمياوي في أكراد العراق وسوريا

Headline: ISIL is trying out chemical weapons on Kurds in Iraq and Syria.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on August 16, 2015]

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كتاب عرب: روسيا و أمريكا في "مستنقع" سوريا

Arabic Notebook: Russia and America in the Syrian "Stagnation".

Syria - Another Iranian Loss

Late Night UPDATE Included !

Only some days after brigadier general Hossein Hamadani, commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, died under fire from the Islamic State in the rural environment of Aleppo, another high-ranking Iranian commander died in the same region.



مقتل قائد كتيبة إيراني في شمال غرب سوريا

The commander of an Iranian Battalion died in north-western Syria

أعلنت مصادر إيرانية مقتل العقيد مسلم خيزاب، قائد كتيبة "يا زهراء" التابعة لفيلق الامام الحسين، في الحرس الثوري الايراني، مسلم خيزاب، قتل في شمال غربي سوريا، إثر اشتباكات مع عناصر مسلحة.ـ

Iranian sources reported the death of colonel Muslim Kheyzab, commander of the Iranian "Ya Zahra" battalion belonging to the [army] Corps Imam Al-Hussein of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Muslim Kheyzab died in north-western Syria after clashes with armed elements.

Editor's Note: The Persian name of Kheyzab's battalion "Ya Zahra" is identical with that of an Iranian air defence system. The expression can be translated as "O Fatimah (help us)" which is referring to a certain aspect of Muslimic belief.



Ya Zahra - Formula calling the Prophet's daughter for help in case of danger
and Iran's new short range air defence system, introduced in 2013.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 19, 2015]

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العراق.. مقتل 65 داعشيا بينهم قيادي أميركي

In Iraq, 65 ISIL fighters were killed, among them one leader of U.S. nationality.

أعلنت وزارة الدفاع العراقية مقتل 65 عنصرا من تنظيم داعش بينهم 11 قياديا أحدهم يحمل الجنسية الأميركية في قصف صاروخي استهدف 4 مواقع للتنظيم في الاقضية الغربية من محافظة الأنبار، بحسب ما ذكرت قناة "العربية" يوم الاثنين.ـ

The Iraqi defence ministry reported the killing of 65 members of ISIL organization, among them 11 leaders one being of U.S. nationality. This happened in a rocket attack targeting four positions of the organization in the western districts of Anbar province.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 19, 2015]

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Al-Jubeir commenting on Iran at a meeting with
his German interlocutor equal in rank in Riyadh.


الجبير: إيران دولة محتلة.. ونأمل أن توقف تدخلاتها
قال إن المملكة ترحب بأي محاولات إيرانية لتحسين العلاقات مع دول الجوار

Al-Jubeir: Iran is an occupying country ..... and we hope that it stops its interventions.

He said that the Kingdom [i.e. Saudi Arabia] welcomes any Iranian attempts to improve relations with neighboring countries

Editor's Note:
Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir عادل بن أحمد الجبير is the Saudi Arabian minister of foreign affairs since 2015. The article is above all referring to Iranian activity in Syria and is only shortly referring to Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon. Not directly mentioned, however, are Iran's support of the Houthy administration in Yemen which is being bombed by Saudi Arabia and its allies and a related increase of Iranian influence at the Bab El-Mandeb seagate to the Suez Canal.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 19, 2015]

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North Korea - Greetings from Hollywood

The 70 years' anniversary of North Korea's Labour Party might be a nice occasion to remind the U.S. motion picture "The Interview" that had been produced by Sony Pictures and planned to go public in December 2014. As its plot was based on the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an interview, it was officially rejected by Pyongyang, and Sony Pictures had to suffer from a cyber attack that taught them to be more prudent in the choice of their movie scripts. Here now, once again, the trailer of a Hollywood comedy that was just mocking a country which is even able to lauch nuclear missiles if deemed necessary.




Attention: This is original, not from the movies !



Kim Jong Un while attending a weaponry test where ballistic missiles were
launched from a dived North Korean submarine [Sina Press, Oct. 15, 2015].


朝鲜—2015统计—挑衅政策—朝鲜洲际导弹

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Visitor from Hollywood and who is interested in North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

Syria - Russian Embassy Under Fire

法新社报道，俄罗斯驻叙利亚大马士革使馆遭两枚火箭弹袭击。
（新浪）

Chinese Breaking News at 11:00 CET
The Chinese online news service "New Wave" has just quoted a French news agency report which is saying that the Russian ambassador to Syria was attacked by two rockets in the Damascus embassy.

A more complete Chinese report which appeared only some minutes later is now speaking of "artillery shells" instead of "rockets", adding that the Russian diplomat was neither hurt nor killed in the raid. The report is showing a photo of the scene:



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Visitor statistics for "blueprint news" comprising the last 24 hours.

Convoy of ISIL Leader Bombed

تفاصيل قصف الجيش العراقي موكب البغدادي زعيم "داعش"ـ

Details about the Shelling of ISIL Leader Al-Baghdadi's Convoy by Iraqi Forces.

وذكرت التقارير أن المعلومات الأولية التي نقلتها عن جهاز الاستخبارات العراقي، قوله إن الموكب كان مكونًا من 7 سيارات، وقد يكون البغدادي داخل الموكب أثناء تنقله إلى منطقة الكرابلة لعقد اجتماع مع قيادات التنظيم داعش في الأنبار لمتابعة سير عمليات التنظيم.ـ

Reports reminded that basic intelligence, [proliferated by] the intelligence [systems] of Iraq, said the convoy was composed of seven cars and Al-Baghdadi had been inside the convoy while he moved to the region of Al-Karābilah to join an assembly of ISIL commanders in Anbar province for the continuous guidance of operations for the organization.


Editor's Note: Al-Karābilah is a town and subdistrict of Iraq's Anbar governorate and situated near the border to Syria.

[Source: Ajel عاجل, a Saudi Arabian news service on October 11, 2015]


أفاد بيان للجيش العراقي بأن "سلاح الجو قصف موكب البغدادي، زعيم داعش، غرب الأنبار، ومصيره غير معروف".ـ

A report for the Iraqi army informed that the air force had bombed the convoy of Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL, in the western part of Anbar [province]. His [personal situation] remains unknown.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 11, 2015]


مصادر طبية عراقية وشهود: البغدادي ليس من قادة داعش الذين قتلوا غربي العراق

Iraqi medical sources and witnesses [are saying that] Al-Baghdadi
was not among the ISIL commanders who died in the Iraqi raid.

[Source: RT (Russia Today - Arabic) on October 11, 2015]

Russia Caused Incident in Syrian Airspace

Important Updates for October 8 / 9 / 11 further down !



سوريا..مقاتلة روسية تجبر طائرة للتحالف على تغيير مسارها

Syria ..... Russian War Plane Forced Alliance Plane to Change its Course.

أعلنت وزارة الدفاع الأميركية (البنتاغون)، اليوم الأربعاء، أن طائرة واحدة على الأقل تابعة للتحالف الدولي بقيادة الولايات المتحدة ضد تنظيم "داعش" اضطرت لتغيير مسارها أثناء تحليقها في الأجواء السورية، لكي تتجنب الاقتراب كثيرا من مقاتلة روسية.ـ

Today, Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Defence (Pentagon) declared that at least one single plane belonging to the international alliance against ISIL organization under the command of the United States was forced to change its course during its flight within Syrian airspace in order to avoid the approach of many Russian war planes.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 7, 2015]

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News Update for October 8, 2015:

واشنطن: أغلب ضربات روسيا استهدفت المعارضة المعتدلة

Washington: The majority of Russia's [military] blows have targeted the moderate opposition.

وقال المتحدث باسم وزارة الخارجية جون كيربي إن "أكثر من 90 بالمئة من غاراتهم التي شهدناها لم تكن ضد تنظيم داعش أو ضد إرهابيين مرتبطين بالقاعدة. لقد كانت في قسمها الأكبر ضد مجموعات معارضة".ـ

... And John Kerry said on behalf of the U.S. State Department that " more than 90% of their [i.e. Russia's] raids, according to what we observed, were directed neither against ISIL organization nor against terrorists allied with Al-Qaeda. They were mostly directed against opposition groups."

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 8, referring to a declaration of the U.S. government from Wednesday, October 7, 2015]

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News Update for October 9, 2015:



تقرير: 6% فقط من هجمات النظام السوري خلال العام الماضي استهدفت تنظيم الدولة

Report: Only 6% of last year's attacks launched by the Syrian regime [i.e. Assad]
were targeting the Islamic State.

[Source: Al-Jazeera TV الجزيرة on October 9, 2015]




مسؤول إيراني يعترف بسقوط صواريخ روسية على بلاده
الناتو يؤكد أن نشاط روسيا في سوريا مقلق و"سندافع عن حلفائنا"ـ

Main Title: Iranian official admits the crash of Russian missiles on [Iran's] territory.
Subtitle: NATO confirms that Russian activity in Syria is alarming and
that " we will defend our allies ".

أشارت وكالة انباء "ايرنا" الايرانية الرسمية، اليوم الجمعة، إلى سقوط صواريخ روسية في محافظة شمال غرب البلاد وهو الإتجاه الذي كان من المقرر أن تعبر منه الصواريخ التي أطلقت من بحر قزوين في طريقها نحو أهداف في سوريا، وذلك رغم الرفض الروسي للتاكيدات الأميركية بسقوط الصواريخ في إيران.ـ

On Friday [i.e. October 9], the Iranian news agency IRNA indicated that Russian missiles crashed in Iran's north-western region [at a certain point of their trajectory] after being launched from the Caspian Sea and on their way in the direction of targets situated in Syria. That happened despite a Russian rejection of U.S. confirmations regarding the crash of missiles in Iran.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on October 9, 2015]




The European Agency for Air Traffic Security (EASA)
already launched security advice to European airlines.

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Visitor to "blueprint news" coming from Moscow.

Chinese Medicine in Malaria Treatment

Here an excerpt from the official annoucement of the Nobel Prize Committee in Sweden with some minor editorial adaptions:

Yesterday, October 5, the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, decided to award the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with one half jointly to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and the other half to Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.



Diseases caused by parasites have plagued humankind for millennia and constitute a major global health problem. In particular, parasitic diseases affect the world's poorest populations and represent a huge barrier to improving human health and wellbeing. This year's Nobel Laureates have developed therapies that have revolutionized the treatment of some of the most devastating parasitic diseases.

For some personal reason, my special interest is targeting the work of Youyou Tu 屠呦呦. That's why I concentrate on her work which introduced a well-known Chinese herbal plant for its ability to deliver a new kind of remedy against Malaria.



Malaria was traditionally treated by chloroquine or quinine, but with declining success. By the late 1960s, efforts to eradicate Malaria had failed and the disease was on the rise. At that time, Youyou Tu in China turned to traditional herbal medicine to tackle the challenge of developing novel Malaria therapies. From a large-scale screen of herbal remedies in Malaria-infected animals, an extract from the plant Artemisia annua emerged as an interesting candidate. However, the results were inconsistent, so Tu revisited the ancient literature and discovered clues that guided her in her quest to successfully extract the active component from Artemisia annua. Tu was the first to show that this component, later called Artemisinin, was highly effective against the Malaria parasite, both in infected animals and in humans. Artemisinin represents a new class of antimalarial agents that rapidly kill the Malaria parasites at an early stage of their development, which explains its unprecedented potency in the treatment of severe Malaria.

The picture below is showing a page about Artemisia annua [ Qing Hao青蒿 ] and which has been copied from a Chinese handbook on herbal medicine that happened to find its way into my private library. The book was published in 1989 [1st edition 1959], and I used it for my own translations about modern applications of Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM, especially for the treatment of AIDS with herbal components which seemed a promising alternative in those years when AIDS research was still at an early stage. That's why my translations of relevant Chinese publications, originating from serious Chinese specialists, attracted much interest from professional circles at that time. Soon it became clear that some traditional medical plants from China offered new opportunities for western research and opened ways for the lucrative exploitation of popular Chinese medicine.



The above page presents a drawing of Artemisia annua and a complete description of the plant together with some remarks on its preparation. The description of chemical components is followed by hints how to apply Artemisia in herbal medicine. Those hints are using the terminology of TCM and require a serious study of the matter.

The essential component in the treatment of Malaria [ NüeJi 疟疾 ] is Arteannuin [ QingHaoSu 青蒿素 ], better known as Artemisinin, and which I found in a handbook of available Chinese herbal medicine, published in 1991 (below). In that edition, Arteannuin / Artemisinin is already mentioned as a remedy against different forms of Malaria, its availability (tablets or injection fluid) and medication are included as well.





YouYou Tu together with one of her teachers in the 1950s while working in a laboratory
of the Chinese Herbal Medicine branch of China's Institute for Traditional Medicine.

Artemisinin in the Chinese Headlines



“中国神药”青蒿素在非洲拯救百万生命

"China's Miracle Drug" - In Africa, Artemisinin Saved One Million Lives



毛泽东要求研发抗疟疾药物

Mao Ze Dong asked to Start Research for a Malaria Remedy.

The related article is quoting a New York Times publication from 2012.

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Visitor from Stockholm