Icetruck

French magazine accused of glorifying rock-star murderer

A leading French music magazine has responded to criticism for making a rock star who killed his girlfriend its cover star.

Les Inrockuptibles placed Bertrand Cantat, who beat actress Marie Trintignant to death in 2003, on its front page last week.

In a statement, it said its choice was "debatable", and expressed "sincere regrets" to "those who felt hurt".

France's Elle magazine responded with a editorial tribute to Ms Trintignant.

Under the headline "In the name of Marie", it said its words were for "all women victims of violence" carried out by men.

Cantat, who was released from prison in 2007, is trying to relaunch his music career with a new solo album.

Les Inrockuptibles said it had been covering Cantat since the 1980s and its history was built on his old band, Noir Desir. It justified its coverage by saying the article tackled controversial issues, such as "Did Cantat have the right to a public life after having killed Marie Trintignant with his fists?"

• French killer Bertrand Cantat's controversial comeback
• France plans law on street harassment

The magazine said it had received many complaints.

One Twitter user said Les Inrockuptibles "should apologise to the Trintignant family".

Skip Twitter post by @RespireLily

Les Inrocks devraient présenter leurs excuses à la famille #Trintignant
Le magazine "Elle" répond à la Une des "Inrocks" sur B.#Cantat pic.twitter.com/cSIFGPofUC

— ??Lily-Rose ? (@RespireLily) October 17, 2017

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End of Twitter post by @RespireLily

The controversy coincided with the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which has seen the US producer accused of multiple assaults against women and which has also provoked a big reaction in France.

On Monday, Gender Equality Minister Marlène Schiappa set out plans for new laws to crack down on sexual violence.

She said a taskforce of politicians would work with police and magistrates to establish what sort of behaviour constituted sexual harassment.

"The idea is that society as a whole redefines what it is acceptable or not," she told La Croix newspaper.

French Twitter users have also been using #balancetonporc, meaning "rat on your dirty old man", to encourage women to name and shame their attackers.

First Lady Brigitte Macron has praised women for "breaking the silence".

On Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron said that he would be stripping Harvey Weinstein of the prestigious Legion d'honneur award.

• Weinstein 'steps down from company board'
• Weinstein: Who has accused him of what?
• How the scandal unfolded

Elle magazine's editorial retort also applauds the "courage" of the Hollywood figures who have spoken out against Harvey Weinstein in light of the recent allegations.

Les Inrockuptibles also noted the Weinstein allegations in its letter to readers, published on Tuesday, adding that it has always strived "to relay feminist ideas".

"It was important for us to tell you that," it said, signing off.

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Source – bbc.com

Weinstein scandal: Game of Thrones actress 'felt powerless'

Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister on the popular HBO show, has accused producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.

The Hollywood mogul was "furious" after she resisted his sexual advances, she details in a series of Twitter posts.

The British actress joins a list of over 40 women who have accused the producer of misconduct.

Also on Tuesday, Weinstein resigned from the board of directors of his eponymous film production company.

He has been accused of rape, sexual assault and harassment, but has "unequivocally denied" any allegations of non-consensual relationships.

• Witherspoon says she was assaulted at 16
• Carrie Fisher's 'gift' to preying producer
• 'My #MeToo experience is sadly typical'

Despite being fired as chairman of The Weinstein Company studio on 8 October he had continued until Tuesday to hold a position on the company's board.

Weinstein, who has been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that present the Oscar awards, still owns 22% of his company's stock, according to Variety magazine.

Amid the fallout over the Weinstein accusations, Roy Price, the head of Amazon Studios, also resigned on Tuesday over allegations of sexual harassment, according to US media.

Mr Price took a "leave of absence" last Thursday after Isa Hackett, a producer on the Amazon series The Man in the High Castle, told the Hollywood Reporter he allegedly sexually harassed her in 2015.

In her Twitter posts, Headey described sharing a lift with Weinstein after he had invited her to his room to show her a script.

"The lift was going up and I said to Harvey, 'I'm not interested in anything other than work, please don't think I got in here with you for any other reason, nothing is going to happen,'" she recalled.

"I don't know what possessed me to speak out at that moment, only that I had such a strong sense of don't come near me.

"He was silent after I spoke, furious.

"He walked me back to the lift by grabbing and holding tightly to the back of my arm," she said, adding that she felt "completely powerless".

After he allegedly "whispered" that she should not tell anyone about the encounter, she writes: "I got into my car and cried."

• Who has accused him of what?
• Did everyone really know?

Headey's story comes as other Hollywood actresses shared their stories of sexual harassment and impropriety in show business.

On Monday, Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon said she had been harassed by an unnamed film director when she was 16 years old, during a speech to the Elle Women in Hollywood event.

Jennifer Lawrence, who has won a Best Actress Oscar, spoke at the same event and described a casting call where she was made to stand nude in front of producers who criticised her weight.

"After that degrading and humiliating line-up, the female producer told me I should use the naked photos of myself as inspiration for my diet," the star of Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle told the Los Angeles audience.

Hollywood continues to speak out

DreamWorks film studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg meanwhile told a Wall Street Journal conference of Weinstein: "Make no mistake about it: he is a monster."

He added Weinstein had been protected by other men around him, who he described as "a pack of wolves".

Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg also got involved by writing a Facebook post about his early days at Miramax Films.

He wrote the movies Beautiful Girls and Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead at the time Weinstein's profile was rising in the film industry.

In his post, he said that while he never heard any rape allegations, he was aware of Weinstein's "dreadful" behaviour – and said "everybody" else knew, too.

'I kept my mouth shut'

"I was there. And I saw you. And I talked about it with you," he wrote. "You, the big producers; you, the big directors; you, the big agents; you, the big financiers.

"And you, the big rival studio chiefs; you, the big actors; you, the big actresses; you, the big models.

"You, the big journalists; you, the big screenwriters; you, the big rock stars; you, the big restaurateurs; you, the big politicians."

• How the scandal unfolded
• UK police investigate new claims

He said others chose to ignore what was going on because they were enjoying themselves and because women were told it would ruin their careers if they said anything.

At the end of the piece, Rosenberg apologised for not doing anything.

"I reaped the rewards and I kept my mouth shut," he said. "And for that, once again, I am sorry."

Beautiful Girls actress Lauren Holly has also come forward, sharing her story of harassment, describing an encounter she had with Weinstein.

The pair arranged a meeting in a hotel, which she didn't find "abnormal at all" because she had routinely met producers, writers and directors in their suites.

She described the early stages of the meeting as normal, but said things turned sour when Weinstein walked into the hotel suite "wearing a hotel bathrobe".

'I pushed him and ran'

"He said, 'OK, let's get to it, this is what we've got going on at my company, these are the scripts we have in the pipeline, this is what I think might be right for you,' and he gestured for me to follow him."

Holly recounted that she followed him into the bedroom part of the suite as he continued talking.

Weinstein then showered and, when he emerged, was naked and started to approach her.

Holly said she started to run away, but that Weinstein began to threaten her, saying she needed to "keep him as [her] ally" and that it would be a "bad decision" if she left the room.

At that point, Holly said, she "pushed him and ran".

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Source – bbc.com

Ukraine anti-graft protesters clash with riot police

Four people have been injured in clashes between riot police and demonstrators demanding major reforms in Ukraine's capital Kiev.

The protesters are calling for an anti-corruption court to be set up, MPs to lose their immunity from prosecution, and changes to the electoral system.

They vowed to stay on, putting up tents and blocking the main road outside the parliament building in central Kiev.

One of the opposition leaders called for President Petro Poroshenko to quit.

"It is time for them to hear us," Mikheil Saakashvili, a former Georgian president and one-time regional governor in Ukraine, told the crowd of several thousand protesters.

Mr Saakashvili is now a stateless person, after his Ukrainian citizenship was removed by his former ally Mr Poroshenko.

Mr Saakashvili is accused by his opponents of trying to further stir up political tensions in Ukraine, which is fighting pro-Russian separatists in the east.

He denies the accusations.

President Poroshenko on Tuesday appeared to respond to the demands of the protesters by introducing in parliament a bill to strip lawmakers of their immunity.

Another demand – for changes to the current electoral system – will also be discussed by MPs later this week, reports say.

The demonstration outside the parliament was organised by opposition parties and non-governmental organisations.

Three protesters and one police officer were injured during the clashes.

Last year, one leading index measuring perceptions of corruption rated Ukraine close to the bottom quarter of nations around the world.

Source – bbc.com

Indonesia massacres: Declassified US files shed new light

The US knew people were being "delivered for slaughter" during a political purge in Indonesia during the 1960s, declassified documents reveal.

At least 500,000 people were killed between 1965 and 1966, after the army and local Muslim militia went on a rampage following an attempted coup.

It was one of the worst massacres of the 20th Century, but, at the time, Washington remained silent.

But these newly released memos reveal they had detailed knowledge of events.

• The massacres of Indonesia's past
• Indonesia 1965 killings- 'I killed too many to count' – BBC News

The documents show US staff describing them in telegrams as "slaughter" and at times "indiscriminate killings", exposing an intimate knowledge of the Indonesian army's operations to "completely clean up" the Communist Party and leftist groups.

It is thought as many as three million could have lost their lives within a year.

The violence – which was a taboo topic in Indonesia for almost 50 years and remains extremely sensitive even today – was unleashed after communists were accused of killing six generals at the end of September 1965.

It was the peak of the Cold War, and the struggle for power between the Communists, the military and Islamist groups was in full swing.

'Delivered for slaughter'

Five decades later, the contents of the US telegrams are chilling.

According to one from US embassy staff in East Java, dated 28 December 1965, "victims are taken out of populous areas before being killed and bodies are buried rather than thrown in river" as they had been previously.

The telegram says prisoners suspected of being communists are also "being delivered to civilians for slaughter".

Another document compiled by the US embassy's first secretary, dated 17 December 1965, was a detailed list of the communist leaders across the country and whether they had been arrested or killed.

But the documents also make for uncomfortable reading for Indonesia's biggest and most powerful Muslim organisations.

A December 1965 cable from the US consulate in Medan in Sumatra said that Muhammadiyah preachers were telling people it was a religious obligation to "kill suspected communists". They were the lowest order of infidel, "the shedding of whose blood is comparable to killing chicken", the report said.

The US cable said this was being interpreted as a "wide licence for killing".

Another telegram notes that people with no connection to the Communist Party were being killed by the youth arm of Nahdlatul Ulama because of "personal feuds".

Breaking the silence

Brad Simpson, founder and director of the Indonesia and East Timor documentation project, pushed for the files' release

"These documents show in great detail just how aware US officials were of how many people were being killed," said Mr Simpson, noting "the US stance at the time was silence".

Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono also says his extensive research has found no public comments from the US government at the time about the killings.

Mr Simpson said there was growing public interest in Indonesia to know the truth after years of state anti-communism propaganda.

"Indonesians can now read for themselves and learn about these important events in Indonesian history as part of a larger struggle for justice and accountability," he said.

The 39 formerly classified documents come from a collection of files, daily records and memos from the US embassy in Jakarta during the period 1964-1968.

They have been released by the National Declassification Centre, a division of the US government's National Archives and Records Administration. More documents, including CIA files, are set to be released later this year.

Revisiting the violence

Lieutenant General Agus Widjojo's father was one of the Indonesian generals killed in the alleged communist coup.

When the BBC showed Gen Widjojo the documents released on Tuesday, he said: "I cannot say anything to justify or reject what is explained in these documents, but basically the tragedy of 1965 was a struggle for power between the Communist Party and the army."

He denied knowledge of reports in the US memos about ethnic Chinese being killed in the violence and their businesses being burnt down.

"I have no knowledge that the violence went as far as that, the intensity of the violence and the atrocities I have no first-hand witness or information," he said.

But he believes the country needs to go through a truth-telling process.

"We should bring all parties concerned together to share their experiences but there must be one condition – the victims, they have to be at peace, they have to move on and see in reflection the tragedy of 1965 from the point of view of Indonesia in 2017."

He says Indonesian society, including his own institution, the military, is not ready to openly discuss the killings. Attempts at holding seminars to mark the anniversary of the killings last month were shut down by violent demonstrations from right-wing groups.

A 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary, The Act of Killing, is among a list of films about the killings banned in Indonesia.

"We are not looking for a situation to reopen the wounds, we are looking for a situation to heal the wounds and to move on," he said., "We would like to focus on what went wrong as a society that we were able to conduct such violence and such killings in such large numbers in such a short time."

Reporting by the BBC's Rebecca Henschke in Jakarta.

Source – bbc.com

Catalonia: Protests after Spain detains separatists

Tens of thousands have gathered in Barcelona for a candlelit protest after two leaders of the Catalan separatist movement were jailed.

Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cuixart are being held without bail while they are under investigation for sedition.

The men were leading figures in the disputed 1 October independence vote, which Madrid has branded illegal.

Spain's Constitutional Court appeared to back central government's position on Tuesday, ruling the vote void.

It had initially suspended the law used by Catalan authorities to call the referendum.

However, Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull suggested neither the court decision nor the imprisonment of Mr Sánchez and Mr Cuixart was going to stop the drive for independence, telling reporters "surrender is not something this government is considering".

• Catalan crisis in 300 words
• The man who wants to break up Spain

The air of defiance carried into Tuesday evening, when separatists carrying candles and chanting "We're all Jordis" gathered in Barcelona's Plaza Constitució protesting Mr Sánchez and Mr Cuixart's imprisonment – a move which many on the pro-independence side see as politically motivated.

The city's municipal police estimated the number of people in Barcelona to be around 200,000, while protests also took place in other Catalan cities, including Girona and Reus.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has already signed a declaration of independence, but halted its implementation to allow negotiations as he called for talks to take place over the next two months.

The position still stands, Mr Turull said.

But the Spanish government has warned that Catalonia must revoke the declaration or face direct rule from Madrid.

Mr Puigdemont has also angered Madrid by refusing to clarify whether or not he declared independence last week. He has until Thursday to clarify his position.

Catalan independence: A waiting game

By James Reynolds, BBC News, Barcelona

"I don't know what will happen," one pro-independence campaigner told me during a small demonstration at midday.

"Perhaps Spain will send in tanks," he said, only half-jokingly.

No-one here seriously expects that to happen. But many are unsure as to what comes next.

Pro-independence groups have been angered by the Spanish High Court's decision to remand into custody two prominent campaigners, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart.

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"They are our first political prisoners," one man told me.

In the centre of Barcelona, normal life continues. Outside the Catalan regional government headquarters, groups of tourists find themselves sidestepping camera crews. Many residents in the city still display independence flags from their balconies.

All await Thursday morning's deadline.

The imprisonment of Mr Sánchez, who heads the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), a pro-independence organisation, and Mr Cuixart, leader of Omnium Cultural, had already sparked one protest on Tuesday.

The smaller march saw thousands blocking the streets, chanting "repression is not the solution".

The men are being investigated over a protest on 20 September in which a crowd blocked Civil Guard officers inside a building in Barcelona, Catalonia's regional capital.

Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau – who does not support the current bid for Catalan independence – said they were being held as "political prisoners".

Mr Puigdemont had also said the jailing of the men, known fondly as "the two Jordis", was like having "political prisoners again", a nod to the days when Catalan culture was systematically suppressed under Francisco Franco.

Spanish Justice Minister Rafael Catala dismissed the allegations, however, saying it was purely a judicial decision.

"These are not political prisoners because yesterday's prison ruling was due to a [suspected] crime," he said.

Source – bbc.com

Trump's latest travel ban order blocked

US President Donald Trump's latest bid to impose travel restrictions on citizens from eight countries entering the US has suffered a court defeat.

A federal judge slapped a temporary restraining order on the open-ended ban before it could take effect this week.

The policy targets Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad and North Korea, as well as some Venezuelan officials.

Previous iterations of the ban targeted six Muslim-majority countries, but were checked by the Supreme Court.

The state of Hawaii sued in Honolulu to block Mr Trump's third travel ban, which was set to go into effect early on Wednesday.

It argued the president did not have the powers under federal immigration law to impose such restrictions.

US District Judge Derrick Watson, who blocked Mr Trump's last travel ban in March, issued the new restraining order.

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Judge Watson wrote that the new policy "suffers from precisely the same maladies as its predecessor".

He said "it lacks sufficient findings that the entry of more than 150 million nationals from six specified countries would be 'detrimental to the interests of the United States'".

Judge Watson added that it ignores an earlier federal appeals court ruling that found the president's previous ban exceeds the scope of his authority.

The White House had contended the latest ban, announced in September, was based on a worldwide review of security protocols and information sharing.

But Hawaii argued in court documents that the revised policy was fulfilling Mr Trump's campaign promise for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States", despite the addition of North Korea and Venezuela.

The latest order temporarily blocks the ban on all targeted countries except with respect to North Korea and Venezuela.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups are also challenging the new travel restrictions in Maryland.

Meanwhile, Washington state, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, New York and Maryland are also seeking to block the new ban in Seattle.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement the latest order was "dangerously flawed" and "undercuts" efforts to keep Americans safe.

"These restrictions are vital to ensuring that foreign nations comply with the minimum security standards required for the integrity of our immigration system and the security of our Nation," her statement read.

"We are therefore confident that the Judiciary will ultimately uphold the President's lawful and necessary action and swiftly restore its vital protections for the safety of the American people."

The president's original ban in March was highly controversial, as it affected six majority-Muslim countries, and was widely labelled a "Muslim ban".

It was subject to a range of legal challenges and several large-scale protests.

The ban was due to be considered by the US Supreme Court on 10 October after it was partly reinstated in July.

But last month the Supreme Court postponed the October oral arguments and called upon all parties challenging the White House to resubmit briefs to the court on whether the case should be dismissed.

Source – bbc.com

Malta journalist death: Caruana Galizia's son hits out

The son of an investigative journalist killed in a car bomb attack in Malta has denounced what he called the country's "mafia state".

Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, died in an explosion shortly after she left her home in Bidnija, near Mosta, on Monday.

She was known for her blog accusing top politicians of corruption.

"My mother was assassinated because she stood between the rule of law and those who sought to violate it," said her son Matthew, who was close to the blast.

The head of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajini, called for a full investigation.

"To kill a journalist it is incredible in 2017 with a bomb, it is incredible," he told the BBC. "Why kill a journalist? Probably because the journalist was close to one important point."

Caruana Galizia: Malta's anti-corruption warrior

In a lengthy Facebook post published hours after Matthew Caruana Galizia attempted to save his mother from the burning vehicle, he accused Maltese police of incompetence and the government of "impunity".

"When the institutions of the state are incapacitated, the last person left standing is often a journalist," wrote Mr Caruana Galizia, who is also a journalist.

He also took aim at Malta's projected image as a liberal Western nation.

"Yes, this is where we are: a mafia state where you can now change your gender on your ID card (thank God for that!) but where you will be blown to pieces for exercising your basic freedoms," he said.

A government spokesman, Kurt Farrugia, denied the government operated with impunity, and promised a "very tough" and thorough investigation.

Panama Papers

Daphne Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of the government and effectively triggered an early election this year by publishing allegations linking Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to the Panama Papers scandal.

Mr Muscat and his wife denied claims they used secret offshore bank accounts to hide payments from Azerbaijan's ruling family – and he was returned to power in the election, despite the controversy.

Caruana Galizia's popular blog had also targeted opposition politicians, calling the country's political situation "desperate" in her final post.

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After her death, Mr Muscat denounced the killing, calling it an attack "on the freedom of expression in our country."

In other developments:

• Wikileaks founder Julian Assange offered a €20,000 ($23,500) reward for information leading to a conviction.
• The European Commission condemned the murder, calling her "a pioneer of investigative journalism in Malta".
• The Malta Independent says that a magistrate assigned to the case requested it be taken up by someone else, because she had been the target of Caruana Galizia's writing in the past.
• The Times of Malta reports that a police officer who celebrated Ms Galizia's murder in a post on Facebook has been suspended and is under investigation.

Skip Twitter post by @JulianAssange

Outraged to hear that Maltese investigative journalist+blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia has been murdered this afternoon not far from her home with a car bomb. I issue a €20k reward for information leading to the conviction of her killers. Her blog: https://t.co/XQCEXBKYn3 pic.twitter.com/ITHlBRzr0J

— Julian Assange ? (@JulianAssange) October 16, 2017

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End of Twitter post by @JulianAssange

In his statement, Matthew Caruana Galizia said he would never forget "running around the inferno in the field, trying to figure out a way to open the door".

"This was no ordinary murder and it was not tragic. Tragic is someone being run over by a bus. When there is blood and fire all around you, that's war," he wrote.

He is a developer and data journalist at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

The organisation, which won the Pulitzer Prize this year for its work on the Panama Papers, said it was shocked by Caruana Galizia's death, and "deeply concerned about freedom of the press in Malta".

Police have opened a murder inquiry and Malta has asked for international assistance – including from the FBI – with the investigation.

Source – bbc.com

We’ve all spent hours tossing and turning in bed at night, unable to fall asleep or even after falling asleep still waking up tired and groggy. Since the beginning of time, it is pretty evident that humans need to sleep in order to function properly and not turn into the walking dead. In today’s world which is brimming with distractions leads to millions of people being sleep deprived most of the time. Be it an adult with a job or a teenager in school, we’ve all suffered bouts of exhaustion just due to a lack of sleep.

Picture credits: Shutterstock

It may not seem like a big deal to be not getting enough sleep, I mean nothing a few cups of coffee can’t handle right? However, a lack of sleep can take a toll on your skin, body, and mind. You will feel lethargic, get breakouts more often and find yourself unable to focus. It can also lead to migraines, worse eyesight, and cognitive disabilities. Moreover, chronic sleep deprivation has also been linked to more sinister health and mental problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It may seem okay to be not getting enough sleep in the short term but in the long term it can really hinder a person’s growth and harm them in irreversible ways.

Picture credits: Shutterstock

We will all be able to perform better at our jobs and fully unlock our human potential if we just took some simple steps to give our mind and body the rest it deserves.

Here’s How Much Sleep You Need Daily According To Your Age

1. Find out the hours of sleep your body requires:

Image credits: Shutterstock

Humans on average need 7-9 hours of sleep to function. However, some people can recharge their minds after only 6 hours of sleep while others continue to feel lethargic even after 9 hours of sleep. The amount of sleep one needs depends on a couple of things. The kind of lifestyle one leads being one them.

Picture credits: Lakeshore Entertainment Malpaso Productions

A physically active person would require more sleep than a person who leads a comparatively sedentary lifestyle as the body of a physically active person would require more time to heal the wear and tear of muscles and replace worn out cells with new ones.

Similarly, a person who is in an environment that is highly stimulating then that person would require more sleep to give his/her senses rest. A simple test to determine whether one is getting enough sleep or not is that if you can awaken without an alarm clock, do not have trouble dragging yourself out of the bed in the morning, do not feel like you’ll pass out without the use of excessive caffeine during the course of the day and do not immediately fall asleep when you lay in bed, it entails that your body is getting enough sleep. If you are not, then gradually increase the amount of shuteye you get until you continue to feel well rested during the day.

2. Have a pre-bedtime routine:

Image credits: Shutterstock

Train your body into knowing when it’s time to sleep before you actually lie down in bed to sleep. Engage in a pre-bedtime regime which may include but not limited to reading a book, putting on a face mask, brushing your teeth, dimming the lights, lighting scented candles, writing in your diary, taking a bubble bath or listening to relaxing music to signal your brain it’s time to get some shuteye.

Image credits: Shutterstock

Also, limit distractions an hour before your sleep time and turn off all electronic devices as blue light has been known to interfere with your sleep hormones. Making this a routine will program your brain into knowing when it’s time to sleep which will improve your sleep quality by many folds.

3. If you can not sleep after 10 minutes of lying in bed, get up:

Image credits: Shutterstock

It is common practice for everyone to lie down in bed when we are not sleepy and think about things for a long period time. This programs our into thinking that lying in bed is for thinking and not actually sleeping. To avoid this only go to bed when you are ready to pass out or if you are already in bed and find yourself imagining all kinds of scenarios instead of falling into deep slumber then get out of bed, do something calming for example reading or meditating then only return to bed when you actually want to sleep. If you again cannot fall asleep, repeat this activity as many times as necessary. This may seem like a lot of work but once your brain learns that lying down is only for sleeping you will find yourself snoring as soon as your head hits the pillow.

Image credits: Shutterstock

4. Eat better

Image credits: Shutterstock

Eating healthier other then doing all the wonderful things to your body, also helps you sleep better. While being sleep deprived may cause you to binge on certain sugary and carb-rich foods, eating certain healthy things can help improve the quality of your sleep. So how to eat better to sleep better? First of all start by eating frequent but smaller meals. Avoid large dinners as they concentrate all your blood flow to your digestive tract and may throw your sleep cycle off balance. Good breakfast, with a mix of proteins and carbohydrates is key as it helps maintain energy levels throughout the day makes you less likely to splurge at night. All in all a well rounded diet which includes foods rich in vitamin B, Calcium and Zinc will ensure you better restful sleep.

Image credits: Shutterstock

No matter how tight our schedules are or if we’re trying to fit in 30 hours of workload into 24, increasing the quality and quantity of sleep should be at the top of the list of priorities. If you are good to your body only then will it be good to you and if you give up on it it will give up on you too. Happy snoozing!

Liked this? Read this:12 Simple Tips To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Article by BornRealist

The post 3 Effective Tips to Give Your Brain the Sleep It Requires appeared first on Born Realist.

Source – bornrealist.com

Feeling broken happens to us all. After all, no person can be happy all the time, and life is made up of all kinds of emotions. Sadness, feeling down and defeated – just some of the many emotions that we go through as human beings. Sometimes, it can seem like those feelings are never going to leave us. Fortunately, this is rarely the case and your true self can shine through.

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” – Hans Selye

Even so, we all need a little help when it comes to picking ourselves up from feeling dejected. When life gets us down, figuring out a way to get back up can seem a little hopeless. Luckily, there’s so many ways to improve your mood and make a positive change in your emotions when life gets the better of you.

Here Are 8 Positive Things You Can Do For Your Self

1. Get outside and improve your mood

This is an easy way to improve your mood. Fresh air and sunshine can help lift your mood within minutes. The very act of just going outside can sometimes improve our entire point of view. After all, sitting indoors contemplating our sadness can just lead around to more sadness.

Author Florence Williams said that when a person spends some time outdoors, “blood pressure drops, their heart rate variability becomes more resilient when faced with stress, cortisol levels drop. The subjects report an increase in… mood, and vitality, and creativity. And that’s just after 20 minutes!”

If you find yourself stuck on the couch, try a change of scenery and go for a walk around the neighborhood.

2. Talk to someone to help feel better

A support system is the best way to make sure that you always have someone nearby who can help you talk out your troubles. Whether this person is a friend, a family member, your partner or even a therapist, talking to someone who you feel close to can help improve your mood drastically.

3. Watch a funny movie

Nothing makes us feel better than just plain old laughter. If you’re in a sour mood, or feel a heavy sadness, watching your favorite comedy can easily boost your mood. You can do it alone or with a friend. Sometimes, hearing someone else laugh can be just what it takes to get our laugh muscles working again when it feels impossible to even smile.

4. Listen to upbeat music

When we’re sad, it can be so tempting to listen to sad, hopeless songs and cry about it. While this is often good for releasing emotions, it’s not so good for uplifting your mood.

“If you’re looking for a boost of energy or a pick me up, music may be just what you need. When we listen to upbeat, rhythmic music it can arouse and inspire us to be more productive and enthusiastic. Music can be revitalizing and get us to take action, keep us alert, and maintain a cheerful attitude,” says licensed clinical psychotherapist Joe Wilner.

So, after you’ve had your wallowing cry, try putting on some upbeat, dance or party music. The beat will get your blood pumping, along with your mood.

5. Take a nap

Our moods are often regulated by something as simple as waking up during the wrong cycle of sleep. If you find that you’re just plain miserable, it might do you some good to settle in for a nap. Getting some more sleep might be just what you need to chase away your bad mood. While it may feel like a childish thing to do, even adults need the right amount of sleep to function properly!

6. Hang out with friends

Whether you all go to a movie, out to eat, or just hang around together, being surrounded by the people who love you is an easy way to remind yourself of all the good in the world. Your friends will probably know just the way to make you feel better, as well as boosting your need for human contact and stabilizing your mood.

7. Clean your habitat

Applied environmental psychologist Sally Augustin says, “We like the places that we “own” (whether they hold literal or symbolic meanings for us) to send out messages about us that we value. When they don’t, our emotional health suffers… The act of cleaning itself can also elevate your spirits.”

Depression and sadness often comes with a lack of motivation to do… well, anything! This can mean that cleaning is often pushed aside. Cleaning your space can feel like a chore, but you’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel after it’s all done. Once the space around you is clean, you’ll find that your mood is improved even by a little. A clean house is a happy house, after all.

8. Do something nice

The best way to get a boost in your mood is to make someone else happy. While it can feel difficult to muster up the niceness to do something for someone else when you’re feeling low, it’s actually one of the best mood boosters there is. Brightening someone’s day is bound to make you feel even better about yourself than before.

Generating positivity isn’t always the easier thing in the world, but there are definitely ways to make yourself feel better when you’re feeling low. Whether it’s getting outside, connecting with your loved ones, or making someone else’s day a little better, generating positivity is a good habit to have and one that’ll make all of your sad days a little bit better.

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

References:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/354-social-media-social-ills-1.4085273/get-outside-and-improve-your-health-immediately-1.4085298
https://blogs.psychcentral.com/positive-psychology/2011/06/how-music-can-improve-your-mood/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sally-augustin/spring-cleaning-to-do_b_1357892.html

The post 8 Self Care Tips For When You Feel Broken appeared first on Power of Positivity: Positive Thinking & Attitude.

Source – powerofpositivity.com

Social media data shared by spy agencies

UK spy agencies are collecting citizens' social media and medical data, a court has heard.

The details emerged in a case brought by Privacy International, looking at the legality of mass data collection.

It said it was concerned that the information could have been shared with foreign governments and corporate partners.

The body which oversees UK surveillance did not know that highly sensitive data was being shared, it emerged.

Facebook said it did not provide "any government with access to people's data".

The long-running legal case was brought by Privacy International, following revelations in March 2015 that the intelligence agencies were collecting not only targeted data on specific suspects but also information from the general public.

The details were revealed in an Intelligence and Security Committee report which, although heavily redacted, stated that so-called bulk personal datasets (BPDs) vary in size from hundreds to millions of records.

The current case is being heard by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, set up to look at complaints about surveillance issues.

According to Privacy International it is the first time that the type of data being collected has been made public, although it is still not clear how such data is collected.

"We don't know whether it it is intercepted or given to it by the companies," Millie Graham Wood, a solicitor at Privacy International, told the BBC.

Facebook said that it did not provide "back doors" and that it scrutinised "each government request for user data".

Meanwhile, in a blogpost from 2016, Twitter said that it "prohibits developers using the public APIs and… data products from allowing law enforcement – or any other entity – to use Twitter data for surveillance purposes."

One of the biggest reveals of the court case was that private contractors had "administrator" access to some of the information the agencies collect.

The Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office (IPCO), which oversees the UK's surveillance regime, has raised concerns over the role of these private contractors.

In letters shared with PI, it said that there are "no safeguards" in place to prevent the misuse of the systems by third parties.

Ms Graham Wood said: "After all this time, just before the court hearing we learn not only are safeguards for sharing our sensitive data non-existent, but the government has databases with our social media information and is potentially sharing access to this information with foreign governments.

The risks associated with these activities are painfully obvious. We are pleased the IPCO is keen to look at these activities as a matter of urgency and the report is publicly available in the near future."

Source – bbc.com