Norway suspect claims self-defense justifies murders

April 17, 2012

CNN

By Dianna Magnay

The man accused of killing 77 people in a bomb-and-gun rampage in Norway last summer claimed as he went on trial for terrorism and murder Monday that self-defense justified his actions.

“I acknowledge the acts but do not plead guilty, and I claim I was doing it in self-defense,” Anders Behring Breivik told a court in Oslo. The court recorded a plea of not guilty for him.

Prosecutors played a recording of a terrified girl phoning for help during the shooting spree that left 69 people dead, many of them teens and young adults. The audio was punctuated by constant firing in the background.

They also showed security camera video of the central Oslo bomb blast that killed eight people, images that participants in the trial watched with ashen faces.

Breivik was charged last month with committing acts of terror and voluntary homicide.

The trial is expected to last up to 10 weeks.

His defense will try to prove he was sane at the time of the killings, his lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said Monday.

It is important to Breivik that he be considered sane, Lippestad told reporters after Monday’s hearing concluded, saying the defendant had his reasons. He did not say what the reasons were.

Experts have given different opinions about Breivik’s sanity, which will be a factor in determining what punishment he receives if he is convicted. Options include imprisonment or confining him to a mental facility. Norway does not have the death penalty.

Authorities have described him as a right-wing Christian extremist. A 1,500-page manifesto attributed to him and posted on the Internet is critical of Muslim immigration and European liberalism, including Norway’s Labour Party.

As the trial opened, he raised a clenched fist and said he did not recognize the authority of the court.

He called the trial political and objected to the judge’s friendship with a former justice minister.

“I do not recognize the Norwegian court. You’ve gotten your mandate from political parties that support multiculturalism,” he said.

“OK, we will make a note of that general objection,” Judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen said curtly.

Breivik later clarified that he was not raising a formal objection.

He listened impassively as prosecutor Inga Bejer Engh read the charges against him, describing how dozens of teenagers and young people were shot to death.

Breivik, in a black suit and jawline beard, read the indictment as the prosecutor spoke, showing no reaction as she listed the injuries the victims suffered on Utoya Island.

He was not physically restrained in court.

Prosecutors outlined his life before the killings, showing a photo of the messy room where he lived at his mother’s house, listing his six failed businesses and referring to his many hours playing the online game “World of Warcraft.”

Prosecutors said he had “no job, no salary, no money from the government” and was “living off his savings.”

He smiled briefly when his “Warcraft” character was shown, one of the few times he showed emotion on Monday.

He also appeared to be overcome with emotion, fighting back tears, when part of his video manifesto “Knights Templar 2083″ was played in court.

Lippestad declined to say why Breivik wept, citing attorney-client privilege.

Lawyers for the victims said: “No one thought he was crying for the victims.”

A survivor of Utoya Island, Tore Sinding Bekkedal, said during a break in the proceedings that he was surprised to experience “a strange feeling of relief” when prosecutors switched from listing the names of the dead to those of the wounded.

“It was an intense gratitude. It took me by surprise that I felt it, that these wonderful people are still among us, that we managed to save these ones at least,” he said.

Breivik is due to begin testifying Tuesday, and asked Monday for his testimony to be broadcast, claiming it as a human right.

Most of the relatives of the victims do not want that to happen, according to lawyers who represent the families of victims and survivors.

The trial was adjourned Monday afternoon after about six hours of legal proceedings.

“It’s going to be 10 weeks of hell … to hear this man, to hear his explanation of why he did it and how he did it,” said Trond Henry Blattmann, whose son was killed on Utoya Island.

In November, prosecutors said psychiatrists had determined that Breivik was paranoid and schizophrenic at the time of the attacks and during 13 interviews experts conducted with him afterward.

However, the court sought a second opinion because of the importance of the question of sanity to Breivik’s trial.

In a report released this month, two court-appointed psychiatric experts said Breivik was sane at the time of the alleged crimes.

The victims on Utoya Island were among 700 mostly young people attending a Labour Party camp.

It was the same camp Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said he had attended every summer since 1974.

“I think that one of the main messages from Norway after the tragedy … was that we were going to protect our democracy. And part of our democracy is the divisions of responsibilities between the government and the courts. It’s up to the courts to decide whether this man is going to be sentenced or not, whether he is insane or not. It’s not a question which is going to be decided by politicians. That’s part of our democratic society,” Stoltenberg said.

Breivik insists that nobody could believe that he was insane and describes questions about his mental condition as ridiculous, his attorney has said.

Breivik claims the shooting rampage was meant to save Norway from being taken over by multicultural forces and to prevent ethnic cleansing of Norwegians, Lippestad said.

Tore Bjorgo, a terror expert and professor at Norwegian Police University College, said Breivik appears to be overly concerned about his self-image and sees himself in the role of a “fantastic, great person who will save Europe.”

“It’s we who should decide what kind of a society we want; it’s not the terrorists,” he said. “And the logic of terrorism is to try to provoke responses to get people to act in ways the terrorists want, and it was important that we didn’t do that. We didn’t go down that road, and that was, I think, a big victory.”

learn more at CNN

Oil Price Surges To Highest Since May On Iran Worries

February 24th, 2012

MSNBC

By: Reuters

U.S. crude futures rose for a seventh day on Friday, ending with their best weekly performance since December, as a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog that Iran had stepped up work on nuclear enrichment was seen further inflaming tensions between Tehran and the West.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for April delivery settled at $109.77 a barrel, gaining $1.94, or 1.8 percent, the highest settlement since May 3, when prices ended at $111.05.

In seven straight days, front month crude futures surged $9.03, or 8.96 percent, their biggest seven-day increase since Oct. 31, when they gained 9.25 percent. For the week, front-month crude rose 6.33 percent, the best weekly percentage gain since the week to Dec. 23, when prices rose 6.58 percent.

For The Full Story Go To MSNBC

FDA To Reconsider Once-Rejected Diet Drug

February 17th, 2012

 

ABC News

 

By: Carrie Gann

 

In the search for treatments to fight obesity, regulators are turning their attention to a diet drug that has already failed to receive government approval as a weight loss treatment.

Next week, a panel of advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider whether or not to recommend the diet drug Qnexa for approval. The move is the latest attempt to give new tools to patients and doctors to fight the obesity that currently plagues one-third of Americans. It also fans a fiery debate about the search for a “magic bullet” alternative to difficult lifestyle changes to help obese people lose weight.

Qnexa was rejected by the FDA in 2010 over concerns about potentially dangerous side effects, such as cardiovascular problems and birth defects. Now, the FDA will consider whether or not the drug’s manufacturer, Vivus, should do a larger clinical trial to investigate the potential for cardiovascular side effects.

But some obesity specialists are, in effect, already giving the drug to their patients by prescribing Qnexa’s two major ingredients, phentermine and topiramate. The practice, called off-label prescribing, is not prohibited by the FDA. Doctors who have prescribed this combination say it has helped patients shed pounds when many other paths to weight loss have failed.

Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the Center for Weight Management at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, said he often sees obese patients who have changed their diets, started exercising more and still have not been able to lose more than a few pounds. Though bariatric surgery is a lasting, effective option for long-term weight loss, many patients either aren’t morbidly obese enough to qualify for the surgery or are reluctant to resort to such a drastic measure to lose weight. For about 30 of these patients, Fujioka has prescribed low doses of phentermine and topiramate.

“The weight loss with this combination rivals bariatric surgery and I see using these meds in the seriously obese patient as an alternative,” Fujioka said.

Dr. Jana Klauer, a New York City-based doctor specializing in weight management, said her patients lost an average of 40 pounds when taking the drugs along with improved diet and exercise plans.

“The drug combination gives great results, providing diet and exercise are part of the plan,” she said.

Vivus, the company that developed Qnexa, said in a statement that the drug is a combination of low doses of both drugs and it is intended for use in combination with improvements in diet and exercise. Vivus said it does not support the off-label use of phentermine and topiramate.

The drugs work by suppressing appetite, and both have been approved by the FDA for other uses. Phentermine, a stimulant, is already approved for weight loss, but only for short-term use. Topiramate is an anticonvulsant, for which weight loss is a side effect.

But a laundry list of side effects has many experts concerned about the safety of the drugs, if taken over a long period of time. Topiramate creates feelings of mental fogginess, memory lapses and a lack of concentration.

Phentermine, one of drugs that made up the failed diet drug Fen-Phen, can lead to a range of cardiovascular side effects, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and heart palpitations. Dr. David Katz, co-founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, noted that these side effects are the very problems caused by obesity.

Dr. Charles Clark, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Indiana University, said the potential side effects are enough to keep him from prescribing phentermine and topiramate to his patients, particularly in light of the failure of Fen-Phen, which was withdrawn from the market in 1997 after causing fatal blood pressure and heart valve problems in patients.

“Given our experience with Fen-Phen, we should be cautious in our use of these agents until larger and longer-term trials are completed,” Clark said.

Others say concerns about side effects of both drugs and their offspring Qnexa are legitimate, but could be managed or avoided if doctors carefully monitor patients while they’re taking the drug. For example, the FDA’s concerns about potential birth defects caused by Qnexa could be resolved by not prescribing the drug to women who could get pregnant. Many doctors say the risks of these drugs may be outweighed by the benefits for some patients with disabling health problems caused by obesity.

In the past 20 years, a parade of diet drugs have come before the FDA, representing an effort by drug companies to give obese patients and their doctors alternatives to difficult, often unsuccessful lifestyle changes. Most of the drugs have failed to meet the agency’s standards for safety and effectiveness. Many come with a list of embarrassing side effects, such as anal leakage, and only one, Alli, is approved for long-term use. A handful of drugs, such as Metabolife and Meridia, were removed from the market because of heart safety concerns.

Some doctors say there is no evidence that Qnexa will perform better than the diet drugs that have already flopped.

“I have made selective use of some weight loss drugs, but have not to date found much reason for enthusiasm for any of them,” Katz said. “I don’t have much for Qnexa.”

Others are more hopeful that Qnexa is different, including Dr. Chip Lavie, medical director of cardiac rehab and prevention at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans. He cites evidence from previous clinical trials that Qnexa helps patients lose a modest amount of weight, which improves their risk factors for diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. He said cardiovascular and birth defect risks that the FDA cited in its first look at the drug were very slight and “clinically unimportant.”

“Considering the dismal results that many experience with attempted weight loss with diet and exercise, which is always the first choice, and the explosion in the need and use of bariatric surgery, this combination drug should be a major advance, and I hope that it gets approved this time by the FDA,” Lavie said.

 

For The Full Report Go To ABC News

 

The Kevin Trudeau Show: 6-24-11

Today, Kevin reveals what is really causing civil unrest and riots around the world and how the government is trying to crush free enterprise and anything that could empower YOU!!

Self Help:
Voice Your Support!
It’s Almost Here!!

Everything Kevin:
Become An Insider!
Stand with KT!
Kevin is on YouTube!
Sign Up For Kevin’s FREE Podcast
Follow Kevin on Twitter
Become A Fan of Kevin on Facebook
Kevin’s Film Club
Kevin’s Book Club

Take Trudeau on the Go! Click here to download this show to your iPod, mp3 player, or PC through iTunes!

Click below to watch the Kevin Trudeau Show!

The Kevin Trudeau Show: 6-4-11

Today, Kevin risks his own freedom to give YOU the truth! Find out why the FTC is going after him and not McDonald’s or Big Pharma and why the first amendment apparently doesn’t apply to him.

Self Help:
Eliminate Diabetes The Natural Way

Health:
Acne Drug has Side Effect of Death
High Fructose Corn Syrup Exposed!

Deception:
Big Pharma Researcher Admits to Faking Research!
GlaxoSmithKline Hid Evidence of Avandia Harm
Pfizer Found Guilty of Criminal Fraud
Hospital Infections Have Killed Over 48,000 People

Everything Kevin:
Become An Insider!
Support Kevin!
Kevin is on YouTube!
Sign Up For Kevin’s FREE Podcast
Follow Kevin on Twitter
Become A Fan of Kevin on Facebook
Kevin’s Film Club
Kevin’s Book Club

Take Trudeau on the Go! Click here to download this show to your iPod, mp3 player, or PC through iTunes!

Click below to watch the Kevin Trudeau Show!

The Kevin Trudeau Show: 10-27-10

Today, Kevin reveals the secrets of surviving the looming economic catastrophe that they don’t want you to know about!

Self Help:
Nontoxic Make Up
Pure Beauty Products
Information Is Key
Natural Solutions

Health:
Cleaning Products Cause Asthma
Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners
7 Year Old Dies From Botox Injections
FDA OKs Pig Virus In Vaccine
Skinniest People Shop At Whole Foods
8 Foods To Help You Lose Weight
Mammograms Cause Breast Cancer
Common Pain Relievers Raise Heart Risk
Top 10 Riskiest Foods

Government:
FDA Declares War Against Ozone Generators

NWO:
Obama’s Aunt Allowed To Stay In US
WHO Scandal Exposed

Wealth:
Teens Face Worst Summer Job Market In 41 Years

Everything Kevin:
Become An Insider!
Support Kevin!
Kevin is on YouTube!
Sign Up For Kevin’s FREE Podcast
Follow Kevin on Twitter
Become Kevin’s Friend on Facebook
Kevin’s Film Club
Kevin’s Book Club

Take Trudeau on the Go! Click here to download this show to your iPod, mp3 player, or PC through iTunes!

Click HERE to watch the Kevin Trudeau Show LIVE!

Too Much Internet Use Can Lead To Depression In Young People

August 6th, 2010

Natural News

By: Jonathan Benson

A new report published in the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine has revealed that young people who spend too much time on the internet are more likely to be depressed than those who use it moderately. “Pathological” internet use is linked to causing other problems as well such as poor physical health, relationship problems, aggressive behaviors and even psychological disorders.

For the study, the research team evaluated the mental health and internet use patterns of more than 1,000 Chinese teenagers. At the start of the study, the teenagers filled out questionnaires about their feelings both on- and off-line, and how often they used the internet. The researchers also evaluated the mental health patterns of the teens.

After nine months, researchers again evaluated the participants to see what had developed. They found that young people with internet addiction are 250 percent more likely to develop depression than young people without it.

“This result suggests that young people who are initially free of mental health problems but use the internet pathologically could develop depression as a consequence,” explain the study authors in their paper.

Study authors suggest that schools start to screen children for internet addiction as part of an early prevention strategy.

“Certain symptoms of internet addiction are similar to those in other types of addictive behavior. These including cravings (in this case, for more time on the computer), neglecting family members and friends, moodiness when not using the computer, and lying to people about the amount of time spent on the internet,” explains Jack Challem in his book The Food-Mood Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, and Alcohol and Drug Problems–and Feel Good Again.

Click Here For The Full Article

The Kevin Trudeau Show: 6-9-10

Today, Kevin reveals the secrets of surviving the looming economic catastrophe that they don’t want you to know about!

Self Help:
Nontoxic Make Up
Pure Beauty Products
Information Is Key
Natural Solutions

Health:
Cleaning Products Cause Asthma
Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners
7 Year Old Dies From Botox Injections
FDA OKs Pig Virus In Vaccine
Skinniest People Shop At Whole Foods
8 Foods To Help You Lose Weight
Mammograms Cause Breast Cancer
Common Pain Relievers Raise Heart Risk
Top 10 Riskiest Foods

Government:
FDA Declares War Against Ozone Generators

NWO:
Obama’s Aunt Allowed To Stay In US
WHO Scandal Exposed

Wealth:
Teens Face Worst Summer Job Market In 41 Years

Everything Kevin:
Become An Insider!
Support Kevin!
Kevin is on YouTube!
Sign Up For Kevin’s FREE Podcast
Follow Kevin on Twitter
Become Kevin’s Friend on Facebook
Kevin’s Film Club
Kevin’s Book Club

Take Trudeau on the Go! Click here to download this show to your iPod, mp3 player, or PC through iTunes!

Click HERE to watch the Kevin Trudeau Show LIVE!

The Kevin Trudeau Show: 2-23-10

Today, Kevin risks his own freedom to give YOU the truth! Find out why the FTC is going after him and not McDonald’s or Big Pharma and why the first amendment apparently doesn’t apply to him.

Plus, get the headlines you won’t hear from the mainstream media:
Big Pharma Researcher Admits to Faking Research!
GlaxoSmithKline Hid Evidence of Avandia Harm
Pfizer Found Guilty of Criminal Fraud
Hospital Infections Have Killed Over 48,000 People
Acne Drug has Side Effect of Death

Take Trudeau on the Go! Click here to download this show to your iPod, mp3 player, or PC through iTunes!

Click below to hear The Kevin Trudeau Show RIGHT NOW!!!

Thank you for always being so honest…

Kevin: 

I just wanted to let you know that you are a wonderful person! Thank you for always being so honest. They will eventually get theirs for lying and hurting the people of this country and world.  How can they treat human-beings like this? It is really sad! I love your radio program! 

Thanks again! 
Barbara J. Muldoon
El Paso, Texas

Next Page »