Nelson Mandela passes away aged 95

I have been following the health of Nelson Mandela for many months now and today it was announced in Johannesburg that he passed away today. He had been suffering with a lung infection for quite a while and had returned home to receive medical care close to his loved ones. Back on 30th March I mentioned that there would be serious concerns for his health in the autumn. So it has come to pass.

Might the North Koreans be preparing another nuclear test soon?

It’s a while since we heard much from the North Koreans but as Mars slides in to Libra later this month, it is high time that we kept a closer eye on them again. This is not only because of the placement of Mars which I shall explain later, but because December 17th is the anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong Il, and I rather suspect that the North Koreans will want to make some sort of statement around this time as a mark of respect.

New Moon in Sagittarius - Going on a journey of trial and error.

There’s a new Moon in Sag tonight - exact at 00:28 hrs in London. New Moons in Sagittarius are about knowledge, wisdom and learning through one's mistakes. Yes Sagittarius is a wonderfully outgoing sign that is very unafraid of taking action then thinking later so anything started now will eventually bare fruit, but it may be a tortuous journey of experimentation, trial and error. It's fun while you are trying out new things though, so enjoy the energy of a new cycle that is being started off now.

Ukraine protests intensify as Yanukovych refuses to sign EU deal.

European Union supporters and demonstrators against the government of Viktor Yanukovych protested in freezing temperatures in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital against his refusal to sign a deal with the European Union to get closer ties with the West. Many think that he is being heavily leant upon by Vladimir Putin and Russia to the north, however jailed former leader Yulia Tymoshenko  who is on hunger strike from her prison cell through her daughter Eugenia called for the people to rise up and not let the government take away the hope that one day Ukraine could join the wider European family. Vitaly Klitschko the leader of the opposition UDAR party has also called for protests and pressure is rising on Yanukovych to act to quell the dissent.