Category Archives: News to use

Useful news for all to advance knowledge of the world and how it works

Myanmar coup: ‘Everything will be OK’ teenage protester mourned

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Kyal Sin, known as Angel, was one of 38 people killed in anti-coup protests on Wednesday.

Senior diplomatic security official removed from Afghanistan role after declaring ‘death of America’ when Trump lost election

“Sad day in American history. A fraudulent election that ushered in a senile idiot and a woman that claims to be black, but she’s not,” Nick Sabruno wrote in a post reviewed by CNN. “Your (sic) witnessing the death of America as we know it and just standby as all our freedoms are eroded.”

After he learned about the post, the acting US ambassador in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, declared that he had lost confidence in Sabruno and he was sent back to Washington, according to the sources familiar with the matter.

He still works at the State Department but is not currently assigned to a specific role or office, three sources familiar with the matter said.

The department makes it clear to employees across the globe that they are regarded as America’s public face to the world and should represent the nation’s values. They are prohibited from using their personal social media accounts to engage in partisan political activities, according to the Foreign Affairs Manual. The manual does not lay o

By Kylie Atwood | CNN

The top State Department diplomatic security official in Afghanistan was removed from his role for declaring the “death of America” and making racist comments about Kamala Harris in a post on his Facebook page when President Donald Trump lost November’s presidential election, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

“Sad day in American history. A fraudulent election that ushered in a senile idiot and a woman that claims to be black, but she’s not,” Nick Sabruno wrote in a post reviewed by CNN. “Your (sic) witnessing the death of America as we know it and just standby as all our freedoms are eroded.”

After he learned about the post, the acting US ambassador in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, declared that he had lost confidence in Sabruno and he was sent back to Washington, according to the sources familiar with the matter.

He still works at the State Department but is not currently assigned to a specific role or office, three sources familiar with the matter said.

The department makes it clear to employees across the globe that they are regarded as America’s public face to the world and should represent the nation’s values. They are prohibited from using their personal social media accounts to engage in partisan political activities, according to the Foreign Affairs Manual. The manual does not lay out explicit repercussions.

The State Department declined to discuss the details of Sabruno’s situation.

“We will not comment on internal personnel matters beyond saying that these are personal views and do not represent those of the State Department,” said a State Department spokesperson. “As a department, we embrace and champion diversity, equity and inclusion as a source of strength.”

While he was in Afghanistan, Sabruno was in charge of overseeing the security of one of the US’ most dangerous diplomatic missions. Hundreds of US government personnel work at the embassy in Kabul.

Sabruno did not succeed when he argued that his comments were protected by the principles of freedom of the speech in the First Amendment, a current and former State Department official said.

He did not reply to CNN’s request for comment.

‘Watch it all collapse’

Sabruno’s 8-sentence Facebook post also attacked Democratic policies and other prominent politicians.

“Watch it all collapse and then you’ll wonder what happened to our country,” Sabruno went on to say in his post.

Sabruno’s profile is not visible any longer when searching Facebook. He identifies himself as a Law Enforcement and Security Professional at the Diplomatic Security Service on LinkedIn.

His Facebook post was fiercely condemned by a number of officials at the department, who immediately began sharing it with one another, two officials said.

“I think it is completely out of line. And I am damn proud of the steps we took to remove him from post pretty damn quickly,” said a State Department official familiar with the matter. “If your speech makes people feel uncomfortable and makes people feel it is a hostile work environment that has gone too far.”

Some of Sabruno’s colleagues recognized that his views may be shared by some State Department officials — particularly those in diplomatic security — in private.

With partisan commentary overwhelming social media platforms over the election period, State Department officials had to be careful to maintain their oath to the Constitution and not to any political party. In a department-wide memo last summer, the State Department workforce was warned not to engage in political activity.

“You are a-political as a foreign service officer and if you forget about that, you forget who you are,” said a former senior diplomatic security official.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo carried out a handful of controversial political engagements when he led the department.

His successor Antony Blinken has said that he will not participate in politics or political debates while he is secretary.

“With regard to the State Department, it has to be — and if I have anything to say about it, it will be — a non-partisan institution that is seeking only to advance the national interest,” Blinken had said during his confirmation hearing.

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Japan urges Myanmar forces to stop violence against protesters

“We strongly condemn the continued use of violence against civilians despite repeated calls from the international community,” Japan’s top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato

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Japan on Thursday urged Myanmar’s security forces to stop a violent crackdown on protests against last month’s military coup, a day after 38 people were killed in the deadliest day of demonstrations yet.

“We strongly condemn the continued use of violence against civilians despite repeated calls from the international community,” Japan’s top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, said in a press conference.



Read full story here

CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO

Dedicado a «el Coronel».

Hoy hace un año todavía.

 

¿Os habéis fijado que antes, cuando alguien moría en un libro, siempre llovía? Y es que la lluvia ayudaba a crear ambiente. Sus tonalidades plomizas y húmedas subrayaban la tristeza y el recogimiento y amplificaban el dolor de la pérdida. El cielo lloraba y los personajes, también. Tenía coherencia.

El ritmo lo ponían las pequeñas gotas de agua golpeando insistentes como un pájaro carpintero sobre la lápida recién colocada; también sobre los paraguas, negros, por supuesto, que añadían un toque luctuoso a la escena. Los charcos, las salpicaduras de barro en la ropa y las flores húmedas sobre el túmulo hacían el resto.

Ahora, con esto del cambio climático, ya no llueve ni en los libros. Los rayos de sol reverberan impúdicos en las ventanas al paso de la comitiva fúnebre. El calor intenso seca las lágrimas en cuanto asoman entre los párpados y la piel de los dolientes se broncea mientras rezan el responso.

No hay flores, si acaso algo de romero en alguna página perdida. Y cactus, muchos cactus que te clavan sus espinas al menor descuido.

Para intentar crear un contexto más adecuado al argumento, los personajes esconden el rostro tras unas enormes gafas polarizadas que le bajan el brillo a la vida. Además, los más allegados al finado cojean levemente sobre el asfalto, como si su pie izquierdo soportase así el sobrepeso de un corazón roto.

Pero aunque intentan disimular, se les nota a todos la prisa por regresar a sus casas, sentarse a la sombra y, a falta de agua, tomarse un refresco para hidratar sus pequeñas entrañas de papel.

Nada que ver. Y sinceramente, así no hay quien escriba.

Publicada en la web Profesor Jonk

La entrada CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO se publicó primero en Escribir sobre la punta de la i.

Exploring the beauty of the Saharan Blues

Saharan Blues, a term in which the word ‘blues’ is doing a lot of work. There is no place on Earth quite as befitting of the blues as the North African region of the Sahara. It is a stretch of land where the first adjective to come to mind is ravaged; ravaged by the blistering sun, increasing climate-driven desertification, colonialism, then post-colonial disorder, socio-economic divides, political unrest, and many more horrors that I will leave out for fear of only creating further despair. However, as always, where despair resides, the tonic of music follows, and the great cultural boon of life has certainly not deserted the Saharan people.  Source: Exploring the beauty of the Saharan Blues

EU, Italy stop AstraZeneca vaccine exports to Australia

Not good – everyone suffers from vaccine nationalism…

A shipment of a quarter million #AstraZeneca vaccines destined for #Australia has been blocked from leaving the #EuropeanUnion in the first use of an export control system instituted by the bloc to make sure big pharma companies would respect their contracts.

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More COVAX COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments Arrive in Africa & SE Asia | UNICEF USA

The list of countries receiving shipments of COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX Facility continues to grow, as planes filled with lifesaving vaccines touched down in Angola, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, The Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Sudan in recent days. More than 20 countries are expected to receive hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses by the end of the week.

The arrival of these initial vaccines — intended for health care and frontline workers and other high-risk individuals — marks the much-anticipated beginning of the end of the pandemic.

The deliveries are part of the COVAX initiative’s unprecedented global effort to provide 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to low- and lower-middle-income countries by the end of 2021. COVAX is co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with UNICEF as a key implementing partner, leading on procurement and supply.

Source: More COVAX COVID-19 Vaccine Shipments Arrive in Africa & SE Asia | UNICEF USA

Northern Ireland loyalists pull support for Good Friday peace deal | News | DW | 04.03.2021 (Translation:Boris blows Brexit for Northern Ireland)

Loyalist paramilitary organizations in Northern Ireland were on Thursday reported to have told London they are temporarily withdrawing support for the 1998 peace agreement, often called the Good Friday Agreement.

The decision was taken amid concerns over the UK’s Brexit deal with the European Union, Northern Irish newspaper the Belfast Telegraph reported.

A letter from an umbrella body representing loyalist groups said its opposition was because of the Northern Irish Protocol  — part of the Brexit divorce deal. They oppose the additional checks and paperwork for goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland — implemented to prevent the need for a hard border on the island of Ireland

Source: Northern Ireland loyalists pull support for Good Friday peace deal | News | DW | 04.03.2021