A DRUG kingpin dubbed "China's El Chapo" is supplying the world with up to 13.1 billion worth of crystal meth every year, the United Nations has said.

Tse Chi Lop, 55, head of cartel Sam Gor, now controls at least 40 per cent of Asia's regional market, which has seen a huge spike in demand for the drug in recent years.

5

5

The boom has triggered a huge counter-narcotics investigation, Operation Kungur, with Sam Gor and Tse Chi Lop as its prime targets, Reuters reports.

The operation, led by the Australian Federal Police, involves 20 law enforcement agencies from countries including Myanmar, China, Thailand, Japan, the United States, and Canada.

It is the biggest ever international effort to combat drug trafficking in Asia.

Crystal meth is a potent psychoactive substance used as a recreational drug throughout the world.

Used consistently, it can induce mood swings, psychosis, muscle breakdown, and seizures.

Sam Gor is thought to being selling the drug into at least a dozen countries across Asia, from Japan in the north to New Zealand in the South Pacific.

Drugs are shipped in containers marked as tea, strapped to the bodies of couriers on commercial flights, or carried in rucksacks by hikers on the jungle paths between Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

Lop, currently Asia's most-wanted man, was born in China, but moved to Canada in 1988 and is now a Canadian citizen.

He was arrested in 1998 for importing heroin into the US, but succeeded in having a life sentence reduced to just nine years, and was ultimately released in 2006.

It is reported that he travels by private jet, has a personal guard of Thai kickboxers, and once lost $66 million (51 million) in one night at a Macau casino.

Officials have said Sam Gor is in many ways far more sophisticated than any of the more notorious Latin American drugs gangs.

It supplies a larger and wider-spread market and collaborates with a broader range of other organisations, including Japan's Yakuza syndicates, Australia's biker gangs, and Chinese gangs operating across Southeast Asia.

It is also said to be less prone to outbreaks of internal conflict.

Tse Chi Lop is in the league of El Chapo or maybe Pablo Escobar, Jeremy Douglas, Southeast Asia and Pacific representative for United Nations on Drugs and Crime, told Reuters.

The word kingpin often gets thrown around, but there is no doubt it applies here.

Warning

DYING IN AGONY Worst botched execution ever as killer's skin rips apart as he gasps for air

Warning

BEATEN TO A PULP One-month-old boy critical after evil mum battered him then went on a date

Breaking

DEATH PLUNGE Brit schoolboy, 15, dies falling from 7th-floor flat on Spain school exchange

SCHOOL SAVIOUR Heroic moment school football coach disarms and HUGS gun-toting student

JEALOUS SLAUGHTER Mum found hugging dead daughter, 8, in car after killing her to spite ex

CONCRETE COFFIN Body of glamour model, 24, found encased in concrete after being strangled

One veteran Western anti-narcotics official added: The crime groups in Southeast Asia and the Far East operate with seamless efficiency.

"They function like a global corporation."

5

5

5

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.

Read the original here:

Chinas El Chapo is flooding the world with crystal meth via Asian cartel which makes $17billion a yea - The Sun

Natural Grocers is coming to Spokanes South Hill, according to city permit data.

The health food chain that sells organic food and produce will take the space formerly occupied by the Hastings Entertainment store, 2512 E. 29th Ave., near the intersection of 29th Avenue and Southeast Boulevard.

Permits for $820,000 in work have been filed and are under review by the city, but if the store opens, it will join the other Natural Grocers in the area: 4603 N. Division St. in Spokane, and 222 W. Neider Ave. in Coeur dAlene.

The company was founded in Lakewood, Colorado, in 1955 as a door-to-door sales business by Margaret and Philip Isely. According to the Colorado alternative newspaper, Westword, the Iselys then began what was originally called Vitamin Cottage after Margaret Isely became chronically ill and became interested in the growing field of supplements and health food.

Ahead of its time, the store focused on organic, local food and the practice of butchering and using the whole animal. The Isley family meals were filled with tongue, heart, liver and other offal after the prime cuts were taken to sell at the store.

The store name changed to Natural Grocers in 2008 to highlight its grocery selling and move away from vitamins. N.D.

The former Knights Diner, now under new ownership, is undergoing renovations to upgrade its kitchen and add a food prep area.

Fettig Five LLC, whose principals include George Fettig an early owner of several Zips Drive-In locations filed plans in August to renovate the former diner at 2909 N. Market St., according to permits filed with the city.

Fettig Five LLC purchased the site for $100,000 in July, according to the Spokane County Assessors Office.

The Spokane Historic Preservation Office approved plans to extend a portion of the 657-square-foot Pullman rail car to accommodate a new kitchen and add a 1907 Northern Pacific caboose to house a food prep area.

Fettig Five LLC also indicated plans to modify the interior seating configuration of the original rail car, to remove a section of the counter area and add booths, rehabilitate windows, repaint the exterior as well as add handicap ramps and a door.

Coeur dAlene-based Chris & Pat Inc. is the project contractor.

Knights Diner closed in July after more than 37 years of serving breakfast and lunch in north Spokane. Owner Vicki Green told The Spokesman-Review in July the restaurant would be purchased by a well-known local investor who will continue to serve breakfast at the diner, but with a different menu.

Permits filed with the city did not specify the restaurant concept. Fettig did not respond to a request for comment.

The rail car that housed Knights Diner is on Spokanes Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1906 and served the Northern Pacific Railroad as car number 988 on the Yellowstone Park Line before it was retired to the Northern Pacific Yards in Spokane Valley, according to a historic register nomination document.

The car was pressed into service as a classroom for soldiers during World War II.

Jack Knight, a former headwaiter at the Davenport Hotel, purchased it for $600 in 1949 and hired Beadmore Transfer to move the rail car to Division and Jackson streets. He renovated the interior into counters and stools and opened Knights Diner in 1949.

Knight operated the diner for five years. Ownership of the diner changed hands several times before the Greens purchased it in 1982 and moved the rail car to its current location in the early 1990s. A.E.

The Spokane Housing Authority is embarking on a $1.2 million renovation of a building it purchased last year on Nora Avenue, according to permits issued by the city.

The office renovation of the Nora building, 25 W. Nora Ave., will bring many changes to the 19,000-square-foot, two-story building and its basement, including new interior walls and an outdoor patio. The building is two blocks from SHAs headquarters at 55 W. Mission Ave.

Spokane Housing Authority was created in 1972 by the city of Spokane to provide housing assistance to the region. The group serves Spokane, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry and Whitman counties, and provides assistance to more than 5,500 low-income families through tenant-based rental assistance and SHA-managed apartment communities.

SHA purchased the building, which was called the Atlantic Professional Building, in July 2018 for $1.86 million.

The work was designed by ZBA Architecture, of Spokane. N.D.

Contact Nicholas Deshais at (509) 459-5440 of nickd@spokesman.com.

Amy Edelen may be reached at (509) 459-5581 or at amye@spokesman.com.

Link:

The Dirt: Natural Grocers to fill former Hastings location on South Hill - The Spokesman-Review

An Oregon cheese stands alone.

A blue cheese called Rogue River Blue, made by Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Oregon, has been declared the best cheese in the world at the 2019 World Cheese Awards.

The event took place Friday in Bergamo, Italy, where cheeses from around the globe were judged over a single day by technical experts, retailers, buyers and food writers. They looked for color, consistency, texture and, ultimately, taste to determine the winner.

At the end of the day, the Oregon blue cheese came out on top, making Rogue Creamery the first American cheesemaker to win the competition, organizers announced on Facebook.

According to the creamerys website, Rogue River Blue is made from organic milk, cave-aged nine to 11 months and hand-wrapped in Syrah grape leaves that have soaked in pear liqueur. Its known to exhibit flavors of blackberry, vanilla, hazelnut and bacon all of which would probably pair nicely.

Winners in previous years have included a Fanaost and Kraftkar from Norway and a Cornish Kern from England.

The World Cheese Awards has not yet released the rest of the 2019 results.

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

Excerpt from:

Oregon blue cheese named the best cheese in the world - OregonLive

Last Wednesday was observed as World Food Day. It focused ones mind on one of thebig issues in nutrition today- obesity.

All the introspections of the day brought one to the conclusion that obesity is a problem for both the haves and the have-nots. It is causing serious health concerns for families and nations. One has come tothe realisation that what one eats coupled with ones lifestyle determines ones health status. In other words, the food we consume would determine how frequent our visit to the doctor is.

Fast foods

In afast-movingworld offast foods and out-of-home cooking,one of the agenda for active discussion, therefore, has beenwhat to eat and what not to drinkas experts keep shifting the goal post for us. Today, a glass of red wine is good for the heart, they would tell us. Then comes tomorrow and it would have changed to alcohol is not good for ones health. Yesterday it was eggs are unhealthy in our diets, today it is one can eat up to three eggs in a weekso long as one takes out the yolk.

Unfortunately,in the name of busyworkschedules, families are no longer eatingtogetherat a tablewithfood cookedand servedfrom theirownkitchen. Parents stop by, on their way home to picktake-away dinnersordered from the comfort of their mobile phones. Children have been introduced to so much junk food they prefer the oil-soakedmenuswith the fatty cuts of meatand detest the balanced menus preparedat home.

School feeding programme

Thank God, however,fortheschool feedingprogramme.If done wellwith organic locally produced food items,wewouldgradually be introducing our children to home-cooked nutritious foods.We have some of the best organic foodcropsgrownhere on our soil and they arerelativelycheap compared to organic foods sold elsewhere.We spendscarce foreign exchange importing refined rice andsugar which the producers themselves are running away from.

Coincidentally, as we celebrated World Food Day, a two-day nutrition training programme wason-going in the Central regionorganised by the Ghana School FeedingSecretariat.It was supported by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with the aim to engage caterers of the school feeding programme.

According to news reports, the training programme was used to sensitise the caterers and introduce them to the preparation and serving of gari fotor, fortified with vegetables and soybeanson the school feeding menu. Though high in carbohydrate, some of us would eat gari anytime due to its high fibre content. That is why Iwould support theintroduction of gari fotor with as many vegetables and beans to make it even more nutritious for our children.

Blessing

The School Feeding Programme in many ways is a blessingtothe country.If the children enjoy the varieties served at school, no doubt they would influence their parents to prepare the same with even better variations at home.

It was at boarding school at the age of nine that some of us first tasted Tom Brown and corn grits porridge. It was atthesame boarding school that one got introduced to gari and beans, gari fotor and gari soakings with groundnuts and milk. All those nutritious servings in thedininghalland in our pantrieshave lived with us to our old ageand we have in turn passed them on toourfamilies with even more variations.

With World Food Day on our minds, let the school meals programme introduce our children to healthy organic homegrown foods that would build their bodies and nurture their brains. The programme managers should insist onmenuinnovationby the caterers andget themassessedon thequality ofinnovations introduced in their menu plans.We could fall on the children to do their end of term assessmentsfor us.

World Food Dayindeedcomes toremind usofthe importance of good nutrition and food safety, especially for our growing children. We should all be made aware of the dangers of out-of-home cooking and begin tosay no to fast and instant foods. Theyprovidevery littleor no nutrients toour bodies.We should help to build a nation of healthy young people and say no to foods that would contribute to obesity and malnourishment.

View post:

Our food, our health - World Food Day in retrospect - Myjoyonline.com

THE cannabis industry is on a roll.

Over the last year, a budding array of hemp products have started appearing on the high street.

Leading this green revolution is Dorset-based, Daiba Organic.

The company sell the compound Cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which has been credited with helping relieve pain and reduce anxiety.

The oil wont get you high and is legal in the UK and Europe.

Its currently classified as a food supplement, but you do have to be over-18 to buy it.

Daisy Smith, who runs Daiba Organic with her partner Bart Majkut, have been selling CBD products since 2017.

Daiba Organics range of CBD infused products include crafted organic oils, tea and chocolate.

Daisy and Bart recommend taking a few drops daily orally or adding to your favourite drinks or recipes.

The oil is grown organically and in accordance with the European Union law.

To extract the oil from the plant they use a cold press extraction process, which ensures the best quality oil with no heat damage.

Daisy, 33, says: More people are becoming aware of the benefits of hemp and CBD products. Its moving away from the previous associations of recreational drug use to the more beneficial properties of CBD. Our oil is 100 per cent organic and our products packaging are eco and vegan-friendly.

The pair describe cannabis as a versatile and powerful plant, packed full of flavour and fragrance, with a whole range of natural benefits.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report suggests CBD oil could be used to treat anxiety and depression but in spite of the reported health benefits, NHS Englands website said the quality and content of many cannabis-based products is not known. It reads: Some products that might claim to be medicinal cannabis, such as CBD oil or hemp oil, are available to buy legally as food supplements from health stores. But theres no guarantee these are of good quality or provide any health benefits.

Daisy added: Most of our followers are quite astute and already aware of the growing popularity and benefits of CBD products. Our oil is perfectly safe to use, and we make sure we choose the right plants at our farms. CBD oil is currently classified as a food supplement and not a medicine. The government legislation is very strict with claiming any medical benefits, but I can only say that we have many happy customers that are using our oil and they are finding life a lot more pleasant!

Heres one of Daiba Organics recipes, created in collaboration with Epi-Foods, to try at home.

CBD Power Balls SkinFood Ingredients (basic dough): 100g dates, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight 100g roasted almonds 1 or 2 full droppers of Daiba CBD Oil 5.5% Toppings (optionally): Coconut flakes Matcha ranberry Powder Linseed Grated Almonds Cocoa nibs Grated Daiba CBD Chocolate Preparation: Blend your soaked dates to a fine puree. Chop the roasted almonds with a large knife and mix with the date puree and Daiba CBD Oil into a dough. Form small balls from this dough. Roll these balls through any ingredient from the "Toppings" list above and garnish on a plate or wrap in sandwich paper.

* Daiba products are also stocked at Sunrise Organics and Earth Foods

Read more from the original source:

This couple make cannabis oil that you can add to your food and drink (and it's all perfectly legal!) - Dorset Echo

For local food company Ceres Organics, the concept of organics isn't just about food that tastes great and is free from chemical additives. It's about looking after our planet, by protecting the health of our soil, waterways and the air that we breath. It's about about treating growers and workers fairly, paying a fair price for their products, and providing safe working conditions. And it's about encouraging biodiversity and protecting our wildlife. Most importantly, it's about protecting our future.

The issue of plastic packaging has been troubling the team at Ceres Organics for years. "As an organic business, having a positive impact on our planet is at the heart of everything we do, and reducing our reliance on traditional plastics is a big part of this," says CEO, Noel Josephson.

CERES ORGANICS/SUPPLIED

Having a positive impact on our planet is at the heart of everything Ceres Organics does; several of their breakfast mixes come in reusable glass jars.

After many years of working closely with their packaging partners to develop an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic packaging, robust enough to protect their untreated organic products from infestations, oxygen and moisture, Ceres Organics launched their first home compostable bag in 2017. Transparent, resealable and triple-layered to lock in the freshness of the food inside, without the need for artificial inputs, it was the first of its kind in the market.

What differentiates this revolutionary packaging is that it is specially designed to break down in a domestic compost bin, while a lot of other compostable options you will find need the higher temperature of a commercial composting facility (there are only a few of those in the country that actually take packaging).

Since launching their first product in this innovative packaging solution, Ceres Organics have extended it's use to more and more products in their range. They now offer their high-quality grains, their popular Classic Muesli Range, and more recently their Super Good Muesli, and core flour ranges in home compostable packaging.

Home compostable packaging isn't the only sustainable packaging solution Ceres Organics have been working on. They have just relaunched their popular Paleo Breakfast Mix in a stylish glass jar (glass is the company's first choice of packaging and used for about 20 per cent of their products). They have also added a new, exciting variant to the paleo breakfast family, brimming with nutritious nuts and seeds, their Epic Paleo cereal also comes in a reusable glass jar.

It's all part of the company's ongoing commitment, not just to organic food, but to the wider environment.

The Ceres Organics story started back in 1982, when a young Auckland mother set upon a mission to make organics accessible to ordinary New Zealanders at affordable prices.

More than 37 years later, Ceres Organics is New Zealand's leading organics company, offering over 400 organic products for your pantry needs. Two of the company's founding directors, Noel Josephson and Rodnie Whitlock, still work in the business, and are deeply passionate about keeping the Ceres Organics spirit alive.

"It's fundamental to the Ceres Organics philosophy that we source the healthiest, highest quality organic foods from suppliers all over the world who we know and trust to be socially and environmentally responsible," says Noel. "We're not a faceless international corporation, we're a homegrown Kiwi company that cares."

To find out more and buy the Ceres Organics muesli range online visit ceres.co.nz.

Originally posted here:

One quick change you can make today to help save the planet - Stuff.co.nz

Aaron Berg takes his stats seriously. "Comedy is a numbers game. I think I'm one of those fortunate guys that has my batting average up higher because I focus on the audience so much," the comedian told Newsweek ahead of the release of his new documentary, 25 Sets, set to premiere on Amazon Prime on October 15.

It's not uncommon for a working comedian in New York to perform four or five sets in an evening, but in September 2015 Berg, 47, set out to break the record for most shows performed in a single night. The documentary follows the Canadian-born comedian as he darts between clubs across the the city in his bid to complete 25 sets by morning. Between performances, fellow performers including Janeane Garofalo, Impractical Jokers' Sal Vulcano, Billions' Dan Soder and others pop in to riff on Berg's record attempt and what it takes to stand out in New York's comedy scene.

With humor that is sometimes raunchy, sometimes revelatory, Berg talked to Newsweek about the documentary, working the crowd and pushing the limit.

The previous record for most sets in one night was held by Steve Byrne, but he only had 13 sets. Why did you want to chase 25?

Initially, I'd set out to do 18. Once I found out Steve's record, I was like, "I think I could do 18." I started putting the schedule together, and the numbers got up to 23, and I go, "I may as well push more." I had scheduled 26 sets. At that point, I was like "Oh, if this goes well, I could double his record," which seems mind-blowing to me. I did want to double it, but I knew as the night progressed, there's no way we're getting that 26th set. I just knew it couldn't happen. It was in Times Square, and we had spent so much time below 14th Street that to zip up there would've just shot us in the foot, and it would've cost us two more sets if we would've done that.

Was there any mental or physical preparation before doing the sets?

The most I'd done prior to that was nine, so I ran seven the Saturday before just to get a feel, and it hit me that by [the fifth set] I was tired. I was like, "This is weird. I usually do five, and I think I've been in my head."

Physically, I did not go to the gym that day, because I was like, "I want to save up what energy I have." I ran stairs for 20 minutes, just to feel better in terms of cardiovascular. Mentally, I basically said, and this was the mantra for the whole night, "In New York comedy, everything works out." I had this very positive attitude that if I was late, there would be another comic that would be able to go on and buy me time, or if I was early, comics would shift around. That was the mental attitude I went in with: It's all going to work out no matter what. There were highs and lows. Exhaustion kicked in around 18 sets. If you watch, you'll see where the comedy just became so base at best, where I was literally pointing out what people are wearing, like "You have a black shirt on" and trying to find something funny in it. It is exhausting in that regard.

When did you start leaning into crowd work [improvising jokes about audience members]?

I was like, "I can't keep doing the same act," because comedically I wasn't evolving. I saw there was more stuff to talk about than just my personal life being a middle-class Jewish immigrant who became a stripper. It was about the 12 year mark, where I basically threw everything away, and I'm like "I'm just gonna work by the seam of my pants," and I kinda leaned into that. It works beautifully for New York, because the volume of sets that you're doing, so you get to really get comfortable onstage, and you get to talk to people from all backgrounds, all different walks of life, all different countries. That's the beauty about New York. It's what makes New York comics stand out more. It's this ability to be on your heels and be in the moment and crush in front of any type of crowd. It was about six years ago where I was like, "Yeah, I'm gonna throw everything out and just focus on this."

I think comedy club audiences tend to hang onto what they hear from crowd work more than prepared material, because they feel like they're part of the show.

That's exactly what I think. They feel more invested in it. Even if you're doing insult comedy, the people that aren't insulted will be like "Hey, why am I not getting insulted?" They'll feel insulted that they're not getting insulted.

In the documentary, you do one set for a group of 3 tourists from Holland. Is doing a crowd work for an audience like that a lot more difficult? Do you have fun doing those sets?

I tried my best, but I'm not going to lie. That's like doing crowd work for three of your family members who don't speak English. I'll have fun onstage all the time, because there's also this glamour about New York City comedy like, "Hey, it's still New York City. Anything can happen. This guy could be a huge exec from Holland who wants to sign me to open for the Dutch Carrot Top." When it's bad, it's still bad, but New York comedy teaches you. That bad one, you don't hang onto, because you have another set in an hour. Comedy can't run you down, because whatever you learn, you keep your mouth shut, you take it to the next set and you just keep going.

Do you worry that comedy audiences have changed since you've filmed this in 2015?

There is an inkling of change happening in terms of live performances right now. Outrage online would lead you to believe that it's changed drasticallyit hasn't. I do standup every night in New York City and across the country and in Canada as well. It hasn't really changed. People are more vocal with their disapproval in a live show now than they were before. That's because they feel empowered by online presence. If someone doesn't like a joke, if it falls into one of those buzzword categories: if it's stereotypical or it deals with race or trans-rights or sexism or misogyny, people will vocally say, "I disagree with that." They will say that out loud, whereas people didn't use to say that. They would not laugh or they would groan. It's becoming more commonplace to deal with these incidents as they occur.

The beauty of it is that it does open up conversation, which is the goal of provocative comedy. Above and beyond laughter is to open up discussion, and it's doing that. I do believe in evolving. I do believe comedy does have to evolve, and I do believe that words have to evolve. Language does have the right to evolve, but I still have the right to offend people, and I still have the right to be provocative. The fortunate thing without going too far is it's shocking but it's funny.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

See the rest here:
Meet Aaron Berg, the Comedian Behind the New Amazon Documentary '25 Sets' - Newsweek

THERE is always a lot happening in October.

The countries most publicised music festivals like In The City and Rocking the Daisies take place. Matrics say goodbye to their respective schools to prepare for final. It is breast cancer awareness month and something just as important, Mental Health awareness month.

Mental health is something that not only affects the youth, but also older generations who probably werent taught the complexities on mental health on social media and other walks of life. Although I feel we shouldnt isolate mental health awareness to one month, its something we should make others constantly aware of.

Its a crisis, especially if The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) states that nine percent of all teenage deaths are due to suicide and that only car accidents and homicide account for more deaths than suicide in youths in the age bracket of 15-24. Which is a very alarming assessment.

ALSO READ:Instagram removing likes

Mental Health awareness month shouldnt be limited to social media discourse. There should be some active groundwork such as introducing it into the Life Orientation curriculum which would be brilliant.

Another thing young people should take note of is regularly checking up on yourself as well as friends and family who suffer from a wide-range of mental illnesses. As difficult as it may be, ask for help because no amount of stress is worth your health.

ALSO READ:Consider the mental state of Influencer kids

Vocabulary is also important when talking about mental health awareness month. Refrain from using ableist language to describe basic things or events.

Using ableist words like crazy or insane can offend people who are struggling with mental health and have been called those words in a derogatory manner. Ableist language can devalue people with mental disabilities.

One thing that has impact is social media users being brave enough to share their struggles with mental health on various platforms.

Other users need to be empathetic and understand that it isnt a trend. Users that share their struggles need our everlasting support.

Lethu: I think Mental Health Awareness month would be great if it really helped bring awareness. I think people dont take mental health seriously so it becomes one of those things. We definitely arent educated enough about mental health and I think theres an attitude of not being interested in learning either way. Which is unfortunate.

Brandon: Millennials have found themselves in turmoil with the worlds silent killers depression, anxiety and insomnia. Being a generation with such a bright future, the plight of mental health issues has dimmed things down, including our ambitions, self-esteem, confidence and the undying light we grew up having. We want to revolutionise, yet we carry a burden of ourselves and of the world. Its frightening seeing so many young people suffer silently, but we will heal, we will get better.

Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via Telegram? Send us aTelegram message(not an SMS) with yourname and surname(ONLY) to 060 532 5409.

You can also join the conversation onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.

Heres where you candownload Telegram onAndroidorApple.

To receive our free newsletterclick here.

Read more here:
My Wave: Mental health in spotlight this month - Highway Mail

With at least three suicides by police officers so far this year, grave concerns have risen over whether the irregular work pattern of thepolice is taking a psychological toll Rajib Dhar/Dhaka Tribune

Why our police are in need of mental healthcare?

Selim Jahangir, attached to a police outpost in Kurigram sadar upazila, wore his uniform proudly for over 12 years. But on the afternoon of August 28, he killed himself.

With his parents, his wife, and his eight-year-old son in the house, the 35-year-old police sub-inspector (SI) went up to his bedroom and shot himself with his service revolver.

He was declared dead on arrival at the local hospital.

The domestic help told the media that there were no discernible marital conflicts in Selims life. With at least two other confirmed suicides by members of the police this year, grave concerns have risen over whether the irregular work pattern of the police is taking a psychological toll.

Men and women in the police force are in with the long standing stigma in society when it comes to mental health.

On June 2, SI Sudip Barua, 45, of Gowainghat police station in Sylhet, hanged himself in his quarters. Similarly, on May 7, Constable Sharmin Akter, 22, of Tangail Police Lines, hung herself in her quarters.

Following Selims suicide, Kurigram Superintendent of Police(SP) Mohibul Islam Khan posted his reaction on Facbook: Selim was supposed to sit for an exam to be a full inspector the next day. His parents came to support him for this test We have learned that Selim was suffering from depression for a year, but his colleagues might not have known that.

This is a reminder of the need for regular psychological counseling for our police force. It is a widely available facility in other countries.

SP Mohibul further noted that although instances of suicide are filed as unnatural death cases, the reasons behind them are seldom investigated.

What is behind the stress?

SP Mohibul said many police have to live away from their families, which could possibly be one of the reasons for suicides in the police force.

Dhaka Tribune reached out to several other men and women serving in the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, who agreed to speak on condition of not disclosing their identities.

An additional deputy commissioner of police said that workload, duty hours, and pressure are major issues, noting that police work is more criticized than appreciated or thanked, in comparison to other professions. Furthermore, the senior police officer identified monotonous duty, shorter periods of rest and leisure, risk in the line of duty, and lack of internal facilities as contributing factors to mental stress among the police.

A sub-inspector said: I have to patrol for 12 hours everyday. And then I have to investigate the cases assigned to me or help file General Diaries. Sometimes I have to forego leisure or sleep to work on the cases.

And if I give up a nights sleep for duty, the pressure continues for several days, and it begins to reflect in my attitude.There are no limits on working hours for the bosses or us. And some people take drugs, even though it is a crime, but they use it to cope with the stress. They need treatment, the SI added.

Another SP also said there are some members of the police who abuse drugs, which in their opinion, also aggravates the stress of depression.

A traffic sergeant said: I get stressed out when citizens do not follow the rules of the road and traffic conditions fall apart. Sometimes people in high positions abuse their power, and if I ask them to abide by the law, they push back. You cannot imagine the mental stress that hassle can cause just because you are trying to do your job.

A senior police officer said where police are posted is a major factor among junior police, constables in particular, as sub-inspectors and above can afford to keep their families close to them. But constables and naiks are cut off from their family support.

The officer also pointed out long shifts, and irregular eating and sleeping patterns, as leading factors in the poor mental health of many in the police force. The inability to find any meaning in their duties was also noted, in addition to a lack of professional and respectful interaction between senior officers and lower-ranked members of the police.

Several police constables concurred with the officers latter remark, saying that many officers maintain a colonial, dismissive mentality towards the service people they command.

What can be done?

SP Mohibul suggested regular counseling programs and psychologists could be attached to police units. He also urged that there be a swift recognition of the hazards of mental stress in the occupation.

A senior police officer suggested reforming officer attitudes and the recruitment process, saying: If we recruit more people, the shifts can be more evenly divided and it will ease the pressure on our service members.

A police constable said they hoped for higher authorities to conduct research into what is causing the stress and to act accordingly.

The Police Staff College recently conducted a study titled Factors influencing police personnel's behavior in professional work.

Contacted, Additional Deputy Inspector General Md Golam Rasul, a faculty member at the staff college, refused to disclose any information on the study as it is yet to be published.

Helal Uddin Ahmed, associate professor at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), said: Police should be trained to cope with stress from the first day of their training. The stress levels vary, but one form of stress is not greater or worse than another. Hence, the training should also be variable.

He also suggested that the NIMH and other concerned government bodies can help with stress relief and promote mental health welfare around the country.

Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general (AIG) (media) at police headquarters, said: Policing is a challenging profession. Every member of the police has to go through unexpected and unusual circumstances throughout their career, which leads to a lot of stress. Stress can build up to all kinds of physical and mental problems and police training centers are providing workshops and separate sessions to learn how to cope with stress. But in order to ensure the greatest benefit, we are working to turn it into a fully-fledged module in the training regimen.

Continue reading here:
Mental help for the police: The only solution to an emerging peril - Dhaka Tribune

Dont expect to see positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people-Anonymous

Planning your future is pointless with people who dont have a future plan. Never plan a future with people who dont have future plans. Some people are just okay living permanently in the present. They dont have the big picture of the future. It is impossible to feature in a future that you cant picture. Never build your life around a man without future plans.

One of Nigerias most respected and eminent men of God, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, once said; Nobody must be the reason why you fail in life. It has been spiritually and psychologically ascertained that when a man fails in life, his friends and associates are the first set of suspects. One of the marks of great leaders is the ability to surround themselves with very competent people. An authentic companion and associate must be willing to hurt you with the truth but never comfort you with a lie.

Kevin Eiken Berry said, Look carefully at the closest association in your life, for that is the direction you are heading John C. Maxwell captured it better and succinctly by saying, Your network determines your net worth. One of the infamous Roman emperor and the last emperor of Rome, Emperor Nero, blundered his way to oblivion by surrounding himself with people and advisers that were not in harmony with peoples hopes and aspirations. Ancient sources confirmed that when the young emperor surrounded himself with Romes brightest minds to include the great philosopher Seneca, the result was five years of exemplary government, but the moment he chose a wrong detour in bringing in intellectual invalids, his empire fell like a pack of cards. A pathetic summary of the emperors reign reads: Nero, the emperor that fiddled while Rome burned! Our company will ultimately determine what accompanies us in life.

Not everyone you lose is a loss! Trying to keep people in your life when they have overstayed their season of relevance in your life can be seriously inimical to your growth. There are some sets of people you must avoid planning your future with. No matter how seemingly important they are, they will eventually bankrupt your future.

#1 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH SHALLOW-MINDED PEOPLE:Life is deep and simple, and that is why we must never plan our future with shallow and complicated people. Eleanor Roosevelt once said,Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.You cant have deep conversations with shallow-minded people. Shallow minded people are unable to see beyond their nose! Never plan your future with people who cant see with anything other than their eyes. Dont say deep things to shallow people and dont talk about shallow things with the deep people. The price of shallow conversations may be a corresponding loss of capacity for deep thinking.

#2 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH AN INSECURE PERSON:The greatest threat to your future is an insecure companion. An insecure person will always short-circuit your growth and advancement simply because they are threatened by it. An insecure person will always ruin other peoples happiness just because he cant find his own. Baylor Barbee said,Relationships fail because people take their own insecurities and try and twist them into their partners flaws. Insecure people would always put an unhealthy demand for you. Their unhealthy demand for excessive validation and attention can cripple you emotionally. Insecurity would make your partner compete with you, instead of complimenting you.

#3 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PEOPLE THAT ALWAYS FIND FAULTS IN YOU:You would definitely need sincere feedbacks from people, but not from people with keen eyes for faults and are psychologically blinded to the goods in others. Spend more of your time with people that help you find solutions and remedies to problems, not faults.

#4 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PEOPLE THAT DONT KNOW THEIR WORTH:When you plan your future with people that dont know their worth, they will eventually infest you with worthlessness. People that dont know their worth will always settle for less and will also help you do the same.

#5 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PEOPLE THAT DONT HAVE INNER DRIVE:Life is not about what you drive, but what drives you. What drives people matters. When you plan your future with people that lack inner drive, they will bankrupt you in your journey of destiny fulfillment. The world is moving so fast that it is only people that are driven from within that can catch up. When a man is driven by values, things of value will ultimately come to him.

#6 NEVER PLAN A FUTURE WITH SOME THAT CANNOT PICTURE THE FUTURE:You cant feature in a future that you cant picture! There are some people that are just unable to conceive or picture the future you are planning with them. Many dreams have been stifled and many latent potential have been perpetually buried just because some people planned their lives with people that lacked the big picture view.

#7 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PEOPLE THAT CANT TELL YOU THE TRUTH: Great people surround themselves, not only with people that say what they want to hear, but with people that say what they ought to hear. To finish strong in life, you will need people that can always give you sincere feedback even when it is hurtful. Andy Stanley said, Leaders who dont listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.

#8 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH NEGATIVE PEOPLE:Dont expect to see positive changes in your life if you surround yourself with negative people. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life. When the wrong people leave your life, the right things start to happen. Tom Ziglar said, Negative people dont want solutions. Solutions mean they have to work to find something else to be negative about. Negative people have problems for every solution.

#9 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PEOPLE WITH BAD ATTITUDE: Thomas Jefferson said, Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. No matter how buoyant you are, staying around someone with a bad attitude can significantly bankrupt your life. The greatest liability in life is a bad attitude. A man with a bad attitude is a liability to himself and every other person around him. Zig Ziglar said, A bad attitude is like a flat tire; you cant go anywhere until you change it.

#10 NEVER PLAN YOUR FUTURE WITH PEOPLE THAT CANT SEE YOUR WORTH:Your value does not decrease based on someones inability to see your worth. Try spending more time around people that affirm your worth and help you nurture your potentials. I have often said that when you learn how much you are worth, you will stop giving people discounts. Tim Fargo, If you want to improve your self-worth, stop giving other people the calculator. In order to avoid emotional trauma before they happen, we must constantly detoxify ourselves from four categories of people. Eliminate anyone who constantly lies to you, disrespects you, uses you, and puts you down.

Dont go into the future with a liability. Go into the future with people that will add value to you and increase your worth. You will need people that believe in you; people that invest in your dreams and goals. People that will bring the best and not the stress out of you. Mark Twain once said, Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. When you are seeking to bring big plans to fruition, it is important with whom you regularly associate. Hang out with friends who are like-minded and who are also designing purpose-filled lives. Similarly, be that kind of a friend for your friends.

You must be willing to let go of people that are short-circuiting your growth and progress. The wrong people are not necessarily bad people; they may be good people that are not going in your direction. Moving with people that are not going in the same direction as you will greatly set you back in life. Look out for people of like-minds and like-values. Dont follow people blindly.

The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious- John Sculley

Originally published onLinkedIn

Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.

Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.

Photo: Shutterstock

More here:
Never Plan a Future With People Who Don't Have Future Plans - The Good Men Project