Category Archives: News to use

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

Israeli army orders removal of Palestinian flagpole for ‘security reasons’

Small minded occupiers

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Residents of the West Bank village of Sebastia say the military order was the result of pressure by Israeli settlers who visit its famed archeological site.

The post Israeli army orders removal of Palestinian flagpole for ‘security reasons’ appeared first on +972 Magazine.

Lebanon: Lethal Force Used Against Protesters | Human Rights Watch

Security forces fired a bullet at Omar that hit his upper left thigh. The image on the left shows the entrance wound. The X-ray shows three large bullet fragments and several smaller fragments in his left leg, and the image on the right shows the fragments extracted from his leg.

Security forces fired live ammunition, metal pellets, and kinetic impact projectiles such as rubber balls, including at health workers, and police deployed excessive quantities of tear gas, including at first aid stations. Several teargas cartridges were fired directly at protesters, striking some in the head and neck. Security forces also threw stones at protesters and beat them. The forces involved included the Parliament Police, the Internal Security Forces (ISF), the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), and unidentified forces in civilian clothing.

Source: Lebanon: Lethal Force Used Against Protesters | Human Rights Watch

Coronavirus in vacant apartment suggests toilets’ role in spread, East Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Fecal aerosolisation occurred with Sars, and it’s possible that it may rarely occur with Sars-CoV-2, depending on sewage systems, said Dr Malik Peiris, chair of virology at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health.

Source: Coronavirus in vacant apartment suggests toilets’ role in spread, East Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Coronavirus Superspreader Event in Boston Led to Thousands of Infections – The New York Times

Such superspreading events are a hallmark of the coronavirus. When an infected person shows up in the right place — generally inside, with poor ventilation and close contact with other people — the virus can infect a lot of people in very little time. These unfortunate events don’t happen often, and so most people who get infected with the coronavirus don’t pass it on to anyone else.

The virus that raged through the nursing home didn’t spread beyond its walls, as far as Dr. MacInnis and her colleagues could tell. But when the virus showed up at the Biogen conference, the story turned out very differently.

Swedish military ramps up presence in Baltic Sea due to Russian activity

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Sweden has increased its military readiness on the isle of Gotland in the Baltic Sea.

Lyssna: Swedish military ramps up presence in Baltic Sea region due to Russian activity

Sweden has ramped up its military readiness this week in the Baltic Sea and on Gotland in response to what a high ranking official in the Armed Forces called a “deteriorating security situation in the region”.

It follows concerns over increased Russian activity in the Baltic Sea and heightened tensions in nearby Belarus.

“The focus of the high readiness action is to reinforce naval surveillance in the Baltic Sea, at sea and from the air,” Jan Thornqvist, the Swedish Armed Forces’ Commander of Joint Operations, said in a statement. “The military presence in Gotland is also increased.”

For analysis, Radio Sweden speaks to Anna Wieslander, secretary general for the Swedish Defence Association and a director at the American think tank, Atlantic Council.

Click the play button to hear her interview.

Dave Russell
david.russell@sverigesradio.se

Africa’s triumph over wild polio shows the power of regional unity | Matshidiso Moeti | Global development | The Guardian

Africa has declared victory over a virus that once paralysed 75,000 children on the continent every year.

Four years have now passed since wild polio was last detected in Africa. After a year of rigorously evaluating polio data from all 47 countries in the WHO’s African region, an independent body of experts announced during a virtual ceremony on Tuesdaythat the continent was free of wild polio.

 

Source: Africa’s triumph over wild polio shows the power of regional unity | Matshidiso Moeti | Global development | The Guardian

Kenosha Police Look for Armed Man Who Shot Jacob Blake Protesters – white militia…

“They’re a militia,” Beth said. “They’re like a vigilante group.”

On Tuesday, a group calling itself the Kenosha Guard, asked members and followers on Facebook to come downtown and be prepared to defend the city.

One post read: “Any patriots willing to take up arms and defend out (sic) City tonight from the evil thugs? Nondoubt (sic) they are currently planning on the next part of the City to burn tonight!”

Source: Kenosha Police Look for Armed Man Who Shot Jacob Blake Protesters

Moana & The Tribe (feat Jani Lauzon): TŪ

Tū is the first music video from Moana’s sixth album ONO. Featured artist Jani Lauzon (first nation Métis from East Cootenay Canada) was filmed on the deserted streets of Toronto during their lockdown. Tū is a celebration of the ritual of tohi, to instil insight and wisdom, implant courage and fortify the newborn against evil – also a dedication to Tūmatauenga, the god of war, hunting, cooking, fishing and food cultivation. Directed by Vinnie Carter, with lyrics by Scotty Morrision,. The video Tū was funded by Te Mangai Paho.

We mustn’t understate the importance of anyone’s life when it comes to Covid deaths | Matt Beard | Opinion | The Guardian

However, this isn’t the way that rightwing agitators want to use the distinction. They’re concerned with cases where a death can be related to Covid-19 but can’t solely be attributed to it because of other health factors in play. For them, the only way you can die from Covid-19 is if it’s the only thing that can plausibly be said to kill you.

This is an unusual claim. We don’t think that way about any other event. When we describe the deaths that emerged from the second world war, we include those who died from starvation who would have otherwise survived. When we measure alcohol related deaths, we include those who died from drink-driving. Similarly, we should consider that people whose existing conditions were exacerbated by Covid-19 to the point where they died, to have died from the virus.

And yet, despite the ease with which we can dismiss the argument, there’s something more revealing at play here. The grammatical distinction of dying with v dying from hides a much more serious distinction that informs what’s going on here. Namely, a distinction between deaths that matter and deaths that don’t.

 

Source: We mustn’t understate the importance of anyone’s life when it comes to Covid deaths | Matt Beard | Opinion | The Guardian