Category Archives: Fail!

‘The US can’t dump people in Mexico’: Trump asylum policy in doubt | World news | The Guardian

Several of the asylum seekers who had heard of the potential policy said they would simply wait it out in Mexico. “Going back, I may as well just tie a noose for myself and hang it from a tree,” said Francisco M, who left Guatemala with his wife and three children due to extortion threats from gangs. “We are here alone and it hurt to leave our roots, but I’d have to have a death wish to go back there. No, we will stay as long as it takes.” Meanwhile, human rights groups warn that Mexico, one of the most violent countries in the world, is not safe for asylum seeker. Last month two Honduran teenagers who had traveled with the caravan were murdered in Tijuana. Advocates warn the plan would add formidable new challenges to the already-tortuous asylum process. “The policy essentially dispossesses people of their right to trial. It takes me months to prepare one asylum case. I’ll maybe meet with a person six times. People cannot build cases in the US if they can’t meet with their lawyers. How will they get to their hearings?” said Erika Pinheiro of Al Otro Lado, a legal aid organization in Tijuana.

Source: ‘The US can’t dump people in Mexico’: Trump asylum policy in doubt | World news | The Guardian

Brazil′s Bolsonaro begins firing ′left-wing′ public servants | News | DW | 03.01.2019

President Jair Bolsonaro has authorized the dismissal of civil servants who don’t share his government’s far-right ideology. The sweep will target officials deemed sympathetic to Brazil’s centrist and left-wing parties.

Source: Brazil′s Bolsonaro begins firing ′left-wing′ public servants | News | DW | 03.01.2019

DRC Ebola total tops 600; vaccination team attacked | CIDRAP Pray to God this does not get out of hand!

With 10 new Ebola infections reported on New Year’s Day and today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak passed the 600-case mark, as a fresh round of violence—this time in Komanda—injured a member of a health ministry vaccination team.

Source: DRC Ebola total tops 600; vaccination team attacked | CIDRAP

Seven hospitalized in settler attack on Hebron activists | +972 Magazine

Source: Seven hospitalized in settler attack on Hebron activists | +972 Magazine

On Saturday, according to eye witnesses, the settlers had demolished parts of a storage room being constructed at the home of local Palestinian activist Issa Amro, which also serves as a community center run by Youth Against Settlements. Amro filed a complaint with Israeli police against the settlers, who he says also tore off a metal gate from his neighbor’s house.

Hebron is home to around 500 radical Jewish settlers, living in the heart of a city that is home to over 160,000 Palestinians. Israeli soldiers are permanently stationed inside the city, implementing a system of segregated roads and creating daily friction with the Palestinian population.

On Monday night, Amro, several of his family members, and volunteers from Youth Against Settlements began rebuilding the walls settlers had demolished. While they were working, Israeli settlers showed up and began kicking the activists and throwing stones that them. The settlers were able to demolish what the Palestinians had built.

Friday Open Thread | What the Loss of Mattis Means | 3CHICSPOLITICO

Mattis wasn’t perfect. Not even close. But, because of the rest of the clown car surrounding Dolt45, he was reassurance for the world that there was at least of pocket of normalcy. But, he’s gone….…

Source: Friday Open Thread | What the Loss of Mattis Means | 3CHICSPOLITICO

‘It’s God’s plan’: the man who dreams of bringing intensive chicken farming to Africa | Environment | The Guardian – Export bird flu to Africa – No Godliness – just greed and $.

A US mega-farm, a Christian backer and Africa’s oldest industrial chicken producer are bringing the world’s super birds to revolutionise the region’s food market and feed its poor

Source: ‘It’s God’s plan’: the man who dreams of bringing intensive chicken farming to Africa | Environment | The Guardian

Trek Into Congo Forest Reveals an Ebola Crisis Fueled by Violence – The New York Times

Congolese health officials and their international partners expect the fight against Ebola to drag on well into next year. The biggest worry is that, unchecked, the epidemic could reach Goma, the regional capital. “If it hits Goma, we’re done for,” said Dr. Jean-Christophe Shako, the director of a local Ebola response team whose tasks require negotiating with the militia so that health workers can enter their territories and have their safety guaranteed. The city sits on a busy border with Rwanda and has an international airport that could disperse the disease globally.

Trump attacks Mattis and complains others ‘take total advantage’ of US | US news | The Guardian

Trump regularly repeats inaccurate claims about payments to Iran. According to the website Politifact, the $1.8bn figure is a slight exaggeration of a transfer that covered an order for military equipment made before the 1979 revolution and thus never fulfilled. The attack on McGurk echoed remarks by Mulvaney and other aides. He was appointed as Isis envoy by Barack Obama in 2015 but his first senior jobs as a diplomat, on Iran and Iraq, were under George W Bush. Senators asked Trump to withhold a final decision on Syria for 90 days. But on Monday the Pentagon confirmed that Mattis had signed the withdrawal order. No operational details were provided. On Sunday, Trump tweeted: “President Erdoğan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of Isis in Syria … and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right ‘next door’. Our troops are coming home!” In Syria, Turkish troops were reported to be concentrating near Manbij, a town held by Kurdish fighters.

Source: Trump attacks Mattis and complains others ‘take total advantage’ of US | US news | The Guardian