https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45782359

A Madrid court has let off a former doctor over stealing newborn babies from their mothers and supplying them to infertile couples.

The court found gynaecologist Eduardo Vela, 85, had committed the crimes but could not legally be convicted because too much time had elapsed.

He was the first person to go on trial for illegal adoptions that took place during and after the fascist dictatorship of General Franco.

Thousands more cases are suspected.

After Franco's triumph in Spain's 1936-1939 civil war, many children were removed from families identified by the fascist regime as left-wing and given to families considered more deserving.

What was the case about?

Inés Madrigal was abducted and illegally adopted as a baby in 1969. She took a case against Vela in April 2012.

Her adoptive mother, Inés Pérez, said before her death that Vela had given her the baby as "a gift", because she and her husband could not have children. DNA testing has shown that Ms Madrigal is not related to her late parents.

However, because Ms Madrigal failed to take the case for 25 years after she first became an adult - in 1987 - it fell foul of the statute of limitations, which is 10 years.

When the case first reached the court, it ruled that a decision would be taken as to whether the timeline fell outside the statute of limitations as part of the verdict.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45791811

The controversial far-right candidate in Brazil's presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro, says he will not tone down his rhetoric ahead of the second round.

Mr Bolsonaro won the first round on Sunday by a margin of 17 percentage points but fell short of the 50% of valid votes needed to win outright.

He will face the left-wing Workers' Party candidate, Fernando Haddad, in the second round on 28 October.

He said he would not turn into a "peace and love" character to win votes.

In a radio interview the day after winning 46% of the votes, he said high crime rates were the main concern for Brazilians, including women.

In the run-up to the election, women's groups held mass street protests against Mr Bolsonaro under the slogan #EleNao (NotHim).

In his own words:

"Safety is our priority! It is urgent! People need jobs, they want education, but it's no use if they continue to be robbed on the way to their jobs; it's no use if drug trafficking remains at the doors of schools," he wrote on Twitter on 11 September.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-45792349

Google is shutting down its much of its social network, Google+, after user data was exposed.

It said a bug in its software meant information that people believed was private had been accessible by third parties.

Google said up to 500,000 users had been affected.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the company knew about the issue in March but did not disclose it.

The WSJ quoted an internal Google memo that said doing so would draw "immediate regulatory interest".

In a statement, the firm said the issue was not serious enough to inform the public.

"Our Privacy and Data Protection Office reviewed this issue, looking at the type of data involved, whether we could accurately identify the users to inform, whether there was any evidence of misuse, and whether there were any actions a developer or user could take in response.

"None of these thresholds were met here."

Failed venture

Google+ was launched in 2011, quickly becoming known as a failed attempt to compete with Facebook.

Now, after several years of speculation that it was going to be shut down, Google is bringing Google+ for consumers to an end.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/New-Mosquito-Species-Cause-Officials-to-Take-Action-494977981.html

The aggressive blood-suckers, which officials believe arrived on a container ship from Aisa, are slowly colonizing Southern California.

By Staff

Published at 1:05 PM PDT on Oct 3, 2018 | Updated at 2:20 AM PDT on Oct 4, 2018

A new species of mosquito going against the traditional modus operandi of attacking human flesh at dusk is tearing through Southern California, causing some residents to call it an "invasion."

The Aedes mosquito, or "ankle biter" as it's not-so-affectionately being called, will aggressively nip at skin multiple times in one sitting, and will come out in the middle of the day – atypical SoCal mosquito behavior – to suck your blood.

Aedes mosquitoes are also notorious for bites below the knee, specifically around the ankle, and will get their fill inside or outside of homes.

The Aedes mosquito leaving its mark (literally) on Southern California residents is causing officials to take preventative action.

LA County Reports Human Case of Saint Louis Encephalitis

"They are small and extremely aggressive. They will come out in the middle of the sun and attack you," Roy Alfred said. "Once they get established, they pretty much don’t disappear."

The aggressive blood-suckers, which officials believe arrived on a container ship from Asia, are slowly colonizing Southern California.

Robert Saviskas, the executive director of LA County West Vector Control, said while California already has a native mosquito population, ours are not like these new buzzing burdens.

California Ranks Fourth in Nation With Most 'Neuroinvasive' West Nile Cases

"Native mosquitoes bite at night. These bite in the daytime. While native mosquitoes need a large body of water, these can breed in a small bottle-cap of water," he said.

And unlike the local mosquitoes, the Aedes enjoy breeding indoors. They also lay larva just below the water line.

"Those eggs can last up to a year… and still be viable," Saviskas said.

Mosquitoes in Field Forced Booze Bandit to Surrender: Police

Vector officials have been trying to get the word out that the mosquito is more than just a nuisance.

"Mosquitoes can transmit debilitating diseases such as zika, dengue and yellow fever," Saviskas said.

They advise to get rid of standing water – even keeping recyclables dry, since the Aedes mosquito can lay eggs in such a small amount of water.

"Saucers, indoor plants or outdoor plants. Any kind of little container, anything that you are raising, you are planting," he said.

Vector control said they are no overloaded with requests for inspections of the arrivals from overseas, which they believe have become the "new normal."

"Once they get established, they pretty much don’t disappear," Saviskas said.

Vector control has planned to spray pesticide beginning Tuesday night through Saturday in Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Fullerton and Orange County, according to a Facebook post.

>>3396549

They are attacking us with nature warfare. Damn.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Public-Health-Reports-Several-Cases-of-Typhus-495197621.html

From October 4

A flea-borne typhus outbreak among homeless in downtown Los Angeles triggered an investigation by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health after several cases were reported, the agency said Thursday.

NBC sources say the number may be upwards of at least a dozen.

Typhus can cause fever, chills, body aches, nausea and vomiting, cough, and rash, but can be treated with antibiotics. If not treated however, it can be fatal.

Flea-borne typhus is a bacteria that spreads to humans when they come in contact with infected fleas or rat feces. Animals such as cats, rodents and opossums all attract fleas. Piles of garbage may also attract fleas, leading them to humans through these means.