All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Corona strategy darkens Sweden’s image in the Nordics – Radio Sweden | Sveriges Radio

  • A negative image of Sweden is growing in the Nordic countries, according to a survey by the Swedish Institute.
  • Around 4 out of 10 respondents had a worse image of Sweden in the past year, and the coronavirus strategy is a big reason.
  • “The Nordic countries are like a family, and sometimes you can see tension in the family ,” says Madeleine Sjöstedt at the Swedish Institute.

Source: Corona strategy darkens Sweden’s image in the Nordics – Radio Sweden | Sveriges Radio

COVID-19 ‘long haulers’ need dedicated clinics, experts say | CIDRAP

The United States should create multispecialty COVID-19 clinics dedicated to treating patients still experiencing serious multiorgan effects of infection well after recovery from acute illness, say the authors of a comprehensive review of literature on so-called coronavirus “long-haulers” published yesterday in Nature Medicine. Source: COVID-19 ‘long haulers’ need dedicated clinics, experts say | CIDRAP

Facebook guidelines allow for users to call for death of public figures | Facebook | The Guardian (do no harm, threaten no harm at minimum or just rake in the money?)

Facebook’s bullying and harassment policy explicitly allows for “public figures” to be targeted in ways otherwise banned on the site, including “calls for [their] death”, according to a tranche of internal moderator guidelines leaked to the Guardian.

Public figures are defined by Facebook to include people whose claim to fame may be simply a large social media following or infrequent coverage in local newspapers. They are considered to be permissible targets for certain types of abuse “because we want to allow discussion, which often includes critical commentary of people who are featured in the news”, Facebook explains to its moderators.

Source: Facebook guidelines allow for users to call for death of public figures | Facebook | The Guardian

China’s third aircraft carrier approaches completion, while their fourth carrier is being built.

What Now News 24

China aircraft carrier

Image Credit: Chinapower.CSIS.org

China is expected to finish their third aircraft carrier this year if all goes according to plan. China already has two aircraft carriers named Type 001 Liaoning and Type 001A Shandong. The Liaoning aircraft carrier was based on an unfinished Ukrainian aircraft carrier hull, while the Shangdong is an improved version of Liaoning aircraft carrier.

The Chinese navy will soon finish its third aircraft carrier and is currently building a fourth. Their third aircraft carrier will feature a new design called the Type 002. Of course, no names have been assigned yet to the third and fourth aircraft carriers, or else unknown as this point in time. Both Type 002 aircraft carriers will be much larger than Liaoning and Shangdong aircraft carriers, and will use electromagnetic catapults to assist planes in take-off, rather than ramps, like in the first two aircraft carriers. Electromagnetic catapults will give…

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Assisted living center company requiring employees to be vaccinated by May 1 | TheHill

An assisted living center company based in Texas will be requiring all of their employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by May 1.

The announcement by Civitas Senior Living on March 17 said that their 2,600 employees across multiple locations will be required to get the coronavirus vaccine.

Source: Assisted living center company requiring employees to be vaccinated by May 1 | TheHill

AstraZeneca used ‘outdated and potentially misleading data’ that overstated the effectiveness of its vaccine, independent panel says – The Washington Post (A “campaign” against AZ or real concerns?)

In an extraordinary turn of events, an independent panel that safeguards the integrity of clinical trials wrote to AstraZeneca and U.S. government officials late Monday expressing concern and disappointment that the drugmaker presented “outdated and potentially misleading” data on its coronavirus vaccine making the shots appear more effective than shown by fuller data. Source: AstraZeneca used ‘outdated and potentially misleading data’ that overstated the effectiveness of its vaccine, independent panel says – The Washington Post

Morocco To Receive 4.2 Million COVID-19 Vaccines In Coming Days

Morocco is set to receive 4.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, from three different manufacturers, in the coming days.

In addition to the 2 million Sinopharm doses set to arrive on March 30, Medias24, citing “informed sources,” reports on the delivery of additional 2.2 million vaccines in the near future.

Morocco ordered 1 million doses of the Russian-manufactured Sputnik V vaccine following the country’s authorization earlier in March. An additional shipment of 1.2 million COVAX vaccines (Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine produced in the organization’s South Korean facilities) is due to arrive in Morocco in the coming days.

The COVAX vaccines will be delivered as part of the global initiative fighting for a fairer distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. As part of its first round of vaccine allocation, COVAX will deliver, free of charge, 237 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine globally. The shipment of 1.2 million doses is a part of the total of 1,608,000 doses allocated to Morocco. Source: Morocco To Receive 4.2 Million COVID-19 Vaccines In Coming Days

Lawlessness threatens to plunge Myanmar into protracted civil war | East Asia Forum

The junta has been backed into a corner as people across Myanmar protest, determined not to compromise. The Committee Representing the Union Parliament, comprised of members of parliament not allowed to take their seats, invoked the people’s right to self-defence. The conflict risks becoming even more violent with the Kachin Independence Army vowing to fight the junta.

Lawlessness began with the junta’s abuse of the rhetoric of ‘public emergency’ under the 2008 Constitution after the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) failed to make electoral gains the in November election. But calls from the public for constitutional reform may grow louder, threatening to end the military’s grip on the country.

The military’s abuse of the judicial system compounds the quagmire. The generals plan to remove Aung San Suu Kyi from the political arena through sham trials. This will add fuel to the fire given that she remains the iconic and popular champion of democracy in Myanmar.

Some neighbouring countries seem impervious to the human rights violations and have imposed restrictions on domestic protests. In Thailand, immigration authorities warned that foreigners engaging in protests risk the revocation of their visas. Singapore also warned against planned protests over Myanmar. And Malaysia has deported Myanmar nationals despite a court order to suspend their repatriation following appeals by human rights groups.

Some countries are also compounding the people’s suffering by flouting international refugee law. The principle of non-refoulement is not being respected at the Indian border of Mizoram or in Thailand’s northern regions.

Source: Lawlessness threatens to plunge Myanmar into protracted civil war | East Asia Forum