The news that matter in Europe
The news that matter in Europe
… Tungasuvvingat Inuit’s comic book project. She says putting material … to understand into a comic book makes it more accessible. ( … novel. “I love comic books. I love illustration. I… to understand into a comic book makes it more accessible. …
The Vatican has told a UN meeting in Geneva that the use of “killer robots” and other lethal autonomous weapons systems that use artificial intelligence violates international treaties because innocent civilians could be erroneously targeted.
The Holy See addressed the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons on Aug 4.
“The use of swarms in urban areas could lead to high risks for civilians,” the statement said on the debate centering around the potential pitfalls stemming from the weaponization of artificial intelligence.
“If functioning without any direct human supervision, such systems could make mistakes in identifying the intended targets due to some unidentified ‘bias’ induced by their ‘self-learning capabilities’ developed from a limited set of data samples.”
The Vatican, particularly its mission in Geneva, has warned for years against the use and development of LAWS or so-called killer robots. They include military drones, uncrewed vehicles and tanks, and artificially intelligent missiles, Catholic News Service reported.
The Vatican mission said lethal autonomous weapons systems could violate international humanitarian conventions and treaties, emphasizing the need for “interpretation, good faith, and prudential judgment” during armed combat.
“These aspects are, in part, informed by and based on the evolving context of operations, for which the human person is irreplaceable,” the statement said.
“In addition to the concerns expressed by several delegations, there is an emerging awareness of these issues also among prominent scientists, engineers, researchers, military personnel, ethicists, and the larger civil society community,” noted the Catholic Church statement.
“There are increasing instances of employees and entrepreneurs objecting on ethical grounds to certain projects dealing with the weaponization of artificial intelligence.”
The use of advanced weaponry, devoid of human reason when applying the principles of “distinction, proportionality, precaution, necessity and expected military advantage” during combat, could lead to violations in established rules of engagement, the Vatican said.
At the same meeting, the International Committee of the Red Cross recommended that states adopt new, legally binding rules to regulate autonomous weapon systems to ensure that sufficient human control and judgment is retained in the use of force.
“Worryingly, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning software to control the critical functions of selecting and applying force is being increasingly explored, said the Red Cross.
Such force would aggravate the already difficult task that users have in anticipating and limiting the effects of an autonomous weapon system.
“The ICRC recommends that States adopt new, legally binding rules to regulate autonomous weapon systems to ensure that sufficient human control and judgement is retained in the use of force.”
The Group of Governmental Experts meeting is taking place Aug. 3-13.
By Stefan J. Bos
Greece is experiencing apocalyptic scenes. A ferry assists this mother with a baby and hundreds of other panicked-stricken Limni village residents by the sea. A person in a wheelchair is also rushed to safety. Some manage to take their dogs on board as wildfires illuminate the skies nearby on the island of Evia.
Authorities say that overnight into Saturday morning, ferries evacuated nearly 1,200 people from this seaside area. These families with children, residents with their pets, and tourists hoped the ferry would safely bring them to Edipsos.
Elsewhere massive fires advanced up the slopes of Mount Parnitha, a national park north of Athens. It is also one of the last substantial forests near the Greek capital.
The blaze sent choking smoke across the capital region, where authorities set up a hotline for residents with breathing problems.
Throughout the day, fire crews struggled to contain constant flare-ups.
Thousands of residents and vacationers in areas where fires broke out days ago fled by land and by sea as firefighters and volunteers battled through the night. At least one firefighter reportedly died since Friday, and dozens of people needed treatment across the country.
PREMIER SADDENED
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the fire department’s headquarters in Athens on Saturday morning and expressed
his “deep sadness for what has happened” and pledged support for victims.
Greece isn’t suffering alone in wildfires linked to what has been described as Europe‘s worst heatwave in decades.
Several Greek and European officials have blamed what they view as dangerous climate change for a large number of summer fires
burning through southern Europe, from southern Italy to the Balkans, Greece, and Turkey.
In Turkey’s seaside province of Mugla, the most devastating fires appeared to be under control Saturday. Municipalities in Marmaris and the wider Mugla province said cooling efforts were ongoing in areas where fires were brought under control.
But the forestry minister warned that blazes continued in the Milas area.
On the Turkish Mediterranean, municipal officials in Antalya said a fire continued around the Eynif plain where teams of wild horses live. However, fires in Manavgat, where fires raged for days, were reported to be under control.
Other countries facing wildfires this summer have also included France, where wildfires in the southeast forced the evacuation of thousands. Massive fires also have been burning across Siberia in Russia’s north for weeks. And with summer not yet over in much of Europe, more massive wildfires are expected.
Ms. Toycan was born and raised in the northern city of Famagusta, and still lives there. She is a member of the Famagusta Cultural Association and studied Greek language and literature in Ankara, the cultural capital of Turkey.
Ms. Hadjigeorgiou, a retired teacher who fills her time with hobbies and other activities, is part of the Klotho Women’s Initiative.
Though coming from different communities, both women have a passion for weaving. However, neither was aware of their shared bond.
“In the beginning, our friends Mustafa and Maria who work at UNFICYP told us about the project, funded by the Dutch Embassy, and told us to apply,” said Ms. Toycan.
UNFICYP, officially the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, has been in the country since 1964.
Listen to our interview with Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar, who heads the UN mission:
“Blue helmets” from the mission police and monitor a buffer zone between the Republic of Cyprus and the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
UNFICYP also facilitates projects to bring the two sides closer together.
“They put us in contact with the ladies from Famagusta, and so a bi-communal project began,” Ms. Hadjigeorgiou recalled.
Through a centuries-old tradition, the women began to weave a new relationship.
“Weaving is part of our past,” Ms. Hoycan explained. “This connection and collaboration between the two associations…is a very positive example of the intercommunal cooperation between the two communities, because it is not always easy for many people to get together and do things.”
Through collaborating on different weaving projects, the women exchanged knowledge, opinions and ideas. The experience marked a first for Ms. Hadjigeorgiou.
“Until this, I had no contact with the Turkish-Cypriots at all. The first time I came into contact with a Turkish-Cypriot, was with the Klotho project,” she said.
“It helped a lot in reconciliation because on this side, we had no contact with Turkish Cypriots.”
Weaving also provided grounds for friendship, and Ms. Toycan’s knowledge of Greek proved especially handy.
“For the last three years, I am working as a Greek teacher. I assist them especially in the communication part, the communication in Turkish and Greek,” she said.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised new challenges. The women were forced to be apart, just as they were beginning to feel comfortable with each other.
“Our connection in the Klotho Women’s Initiative was always face-to-face meetings, but our communication didn’t stop completely,” said Ms. Toycan. “We ask about each other and what we are doing. Our work continues, but of course not like in the past.”
Even though everything stopped due to the pandemic, both women plan to continue weaving across the divided island.
“This is a very good example of collaboration,” said Ms. Hadjigeorgiou. “It proves that the two sides can co-exist. We have so many common interests. There is nothing to divide the ladies from Famagusta and us.”
Although they initially felt like strangers, “through this bi-communal collaboration we got to know that we are the same,” said Ms, Toycan, adding “it is nice to know this.”
For pARTy! Salem Second Saturday Aug. 14 Salem Historical Society will hold its popular book signing event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enter the Shaffer Research Library from 239 S. Lundy Ave. Meet two local authors and have an opportunity to visit the Gift Shop.
The first author is Gary Hill, a retired teacher and part time musician living in News Castle, Pa. He has been a Cold War researcher since the late 1960s and has accumulated file cabinets full of FOA documents, interviewed witnesses, and published articles in local newspaper and journals such as The Fourth Decade and JFK/Deep Politics Quarterly. His was named Amazon’s “book of the month” for June 2021. “THE OTHER OSWALD: A Wilderness of Mirrors” is the story of two men who began an odyssey together that became a thread which, when unraveled, reveals how Cold War paranoia escalated into the death of a president. Robert Edward Webster and Lee Harvey Oswald were manipulated like marionettes on strings of espionage. Unraveling these connections may lead us to the puppeteers controlling them. Were these “controllers” orchestrating a series of events that would lead to JFK assassination?
The second author, Judy Lennington, is from Negley in Columbiana County. She is a retired factory worker of 38 years who began writing her first novel in 2011. Since then she has published 15 books and is working on five others. Growing up in a family of story tellers, she wants to continue the tradition and share her stores with all who will enjoy them.
For information call the Salem Historical Society 330-337-8514.
… .
Friends groups generally store the books collected for their individual sales … stop collecting and selling donated books.
With so much backlog, representatives … bin of books as she helps prepare for a book sale Saturday …
WFP needs $86 million to help fight hunger in the country over the next six months, amid turmoil since the military ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February.
In April, the UN agency estimated that the number of people facing hunger could more than double to 6.2 million in the next six months, up from 2.8 million prior to February.
Subsequent monitoring surveys carried out by WFP have shown that since February, more and more families are being pushed to the edge, struggling to put even the most basic food on the table.
“We have seen hunger spreading further and deeper in Myanmar. Nearly 90 per cent of households living in slum-like settlements around Yangon say they have to borrow money to buy food; incomes have been badly affected for many,” said Mr Anderson.
In response, the WFP tripled its planned support to the country and starting in May, launched a new urban food response, targeting 2 million people in Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar’s two biggest cities.
The majority of people to receive assistance are mothers, children, people with disabilities and the elderly. To date, 650,000 people have been assisted in urban areas.
At the same time, the WFP is “stepping up its operations” to reach newly displaced people affected by the clashes and insecurity in recent months. More than 220,000 people have fled violence since February, and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
WFP has reached 17,500 newly displaced people and is working to assist more in August.
In total, 1.25 million people in Myanmar have received WFP food, cash and nutrition assistance in 2021 across urban and rural areas, including 360,000 food-insecure people in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states, where there have been longstanding concerns.
However, with $86 million more required over the next six months, it is uncertain how far these operations can go.
“It is critically important for us to be able to access to all those in need and receive the funding to provide them with humanitarian assistance,” Anderson explained. “Now more than ever, the people of Myanmar need our support,” he added.
Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged from the Gogra area in eastern Ladakh after the 12th round of talks.
Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged from the friction point in the Gogra area of eastern Ladakh, where the two sides were locked in a tense military standoff since May 2020, the Indian Army has said.
In a statement, the Army revealed that India and China completed the disengagement in Gogra on 4 and 5 August.
India and China had reached an understanding on disengagement in the Gogra area during the 12th round of corps commander-level talks held earlier this week at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point.
“As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases,” the statement reads.
The development comes after the People’s Liberation Army refused to pull back its troops and equipment from the Gogra and Hot Springs areas during the 11th round of talks with India held in April.
In May last year, the Chinese had deployed a large number of troops and equipment, including tanks and artillery guns, in this area. India had responded with its own deployments of troops and heavy equipment.
Since then, the two sides had built shelters and other temporary structures in the area to house soldiers and equipment.
“All temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by both sides have been dismantled…and the landform in the area has been restored…to pre-standoff period,” the Army’s statement says.
India and China will continue to hold discussions for disengagement at other friction points along the Line of Actual Control in the western sector, such as the Depsang Plains in northeastern Ladakh and Chumar in the southeastern part of the union territory, the statement adds.
Earlier this year, India and China had pulled back troops from the north bank of the Pangong Lake and the Kailash Range.
Pangong Tso
Although China has vacated the area it had occupied on the north bank of Pangong Tso, its troops and equipment remain deployed in depth areas.
Satellite imagery from 11 May shows that Chinese troops are present in Rutog County, located on the Xingiang-Tibet (G219) Highway close to the eastern end of the Pangong Lake. Rutog, which is linked to both Pangong and Spanggur Lakes (south of Pangong Tso, east of Kailash Range) by road, serves as a major base for the People’s Liberation Army along the Line of Actual Control in this sector.
The People’s Liberation Army can move these troops rapidly to forward positions or deploy them against India using its road network.
The satellite image, posted on Twitter by open-source intelligence handle @detrasfa_, shows multiple rows of prefabricated living structures, indicative of the presence of a significant number of Chinese troops at the base.
Chinese presence in Rutog County. (@detrasfa_/Twitter)
A large motor pool, consisting of different types of vehicles, including those used by support and offensive units, can be seen in the imagery.
Among other things, the satellite image also shows a large number of camouflaged positions, which could be hosting suppliers of weaponry.
Earlier, reports had revealed that China had built structures between Kangxiwar, located on the G219 highway just north of Aksai Chin, and Rutog.
At Kangxiwar and Rutog, the PLA has brought in 10,000 additional temporary troops to support the 10,000 permanent Chinese troops deployed at these locations, a report in India Today says, citing an intelligence estimate.
China has started rotating troops along the LAC, reports say. It has rotated two large field formations by inducting two fresh divisions in April.
The Indian Army continues to maintain its posture on the friction sites in eastern Ladakh and a large number of troops, which had been moved back as part of the disengagement in the Pangong Lake area, remain in depth areas on the Indian side to deter Chinese misadventures.
Work on new roads and bridges in Ladakh also continues despite China’s aggressive maneuvers in the area over the last one year. The Border Roads Organisation, responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads in India’s border areas, appears to have improved its performance amid tensions along the Line of Actual Control.
In Eastern Ladakh, India and China have two mutually agreed disputed areas, Trig Heights and Demchok, and 10 areas of differing perception. Officials said that since the stand-off last year, additional five friction points have emerged. These are Km 120 in Galwan area, Patrolling Point (PP) 15 and PP17 and Rechin La and Rezang La on the south bank of the Pangong Tso, the second official said.
The 12th round of military talks took place over two weeks after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar firmly conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the prolongation of the existing situation in eastern Ladakh was visibly impacting the bilateral ties in a “negative manner”.
sourced – swarajya
City of Munich condemned by Bavarian Admin Court for discriminating a member of the religion, to grant a “pedelec” e-bike to a member of Scientology in Germany
MUNICH, BAVARIA, GERMANY, August 6, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Munich condemned by Bavarian Admin Court for discriminating a member of Scientology. The City is now obliged to grant an eBike to a member of this Church.
The Bavarian State Administrative Court of Appeal has now issued its ruling (file no. 4 B 20.3008) in the case of a Munich Scientologist against the City of Munich. The case is related to the city E-Mobile Funding Directive, issued to help improve environmental protection, and the city´s denial to approve a grant for the acquisition of an E-Bike to the Scientologist, solely because of being a parishioner of the Scientology religion.
The Bavarian State Admin Court condemned the city practice with unmistakable words as an unjustified interference in the religious freedom guarantee of Art. 4 of the German Constitution and as a violation of Art. 3 of the Constitution which prohibits unequal treatment before the law. The court stated:
„The exclusion of applicants, who feel bound by the Scientology teachings, from the circle of recipients of grants [for an E-Bike] also constitutes a violation of fundamental rights in a multiple way. It is incompatible with the freedom of religion or philosophy and does not satisfy the equal rights requirements of the Constitution.“ [Bavarian State Administrative Court, 2021]
As the Federal Supreme Admin Court had judged already in 2005, also the Bavarian State Admin Court confirmed that the plaintiff and generally all members of the Church of Scientology can „in any case claim the fundamental right of Art. 4 sect. (1) of the Constitution.“ Art. 4 sect. (1) of the German Constitution guarantees the inviolability of the freedom of belief or the religious and philosophic denomination. By denial of the requested grant, the City of Munich had violated this in a multiple way.
The city was not allowed to generally require the revelation of the religious or philosophical conviction and blanketly exclude Scientologists from its funding program for E-Bikes. The court found „Measures from public authorities that are aimfully directed against the practice of a freedom right protected by Art. 4 sect. (1) of the Constitution, at any rate constitute indirect interferences with a fundamental right. These prerequisites are fulfilled in the case of the exclusion of Scientology adherents from the funding program of the defendant when connected to their personal belief.“
On the prohibition of unequal treatment practices, the court found that the city´s exclusion practice violates the fundamental equal rights principles of the Constitution. The court stated: „Also for reasons of equal treatment, the exclusion of Scientology-members and -adherents from the funding program of the defendant must be considered as illegal. It violates Art. 3 sect. (1) and (3) of the Constitution“, that is to say, it violates the fundamental principle that all people are equal before the law and that they must not be subjected to disadvantages by reason of their belief or religious or philosophical conviction.
The spokesperson of the Church of Scientology of Germany was happy to comment on the judgment:
“With the above a German Court for the first time called a spade a spade. We are happy that this discriminatory city practice towards Scientologists was finally „red-carded“ which it had deserved since long. This is a victory for religious freedom for all people who are subject to disadvantages in Germany by reason of their religious belief.“
Last september 2020, Scientology had requested the UN to launch an investigation on Germany for violating religious freedom, and in fact the Special Rapporteur on FORB Ahmed Shaheed, had previously written a letter to the German government inquiring them for such discriminatory practices. While the Scientologists still have some work to do to get their rights respected by German officials, it seems that international exposure and above all, proper abidance to the law and justice system, is paying off.
Ivan Arjona
European Office Church of Scientology
+32 466 12 30 68
email us here
(CBS SF / CNN) — Elon Musk says he’s getting a new biography.
The CEO of SpaceX and Bay Area-based Tesla tweeted Wednesday that the biographer Walter Isaacson will pen the book. He didn’t say when the book will be released.
READ MORE: ‘Firefighters Getting Guns Pulled Out On Them;’ Some Dixie Fire Residents Refusing To Evacuate
“If you’re curious about Tesla, SpaceX & my general goings on, @WalterIsaacson is writing a biography,” Musk said on Twitter.
If you’re curious about Tesla, SpaceX & my general goings on, @WalterIsaacson is writing a biography
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2021
Isaacson, a professor of history at Tulane University, has written biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Henry Kissinger and Steve Jobs. His latest book — “The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race” — is about the Nobel Prize winning biochemist who developed the gene-editing technology CRISPR.
Isaacson has been the editor of Time Magazine, the CEO of the Aspen Institute and the CEO and chairman of CNN. He’s also a contributor on “Amanpour,” CNN International’s global affairs interview program.
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Simon & Schuster which has published several of Isaacson’s books, also did not immediately respond to a question about whether it would be involved with a Musk biography.
Musk — the billionaire known for his bold style and outspoken presence — is a popular book subject.
This week, Wall Street Journal reporter Tim Higgins released a book on Musk called “Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk and the Bet of the Century.” The book includes an anecdote claiming that Musk once suggested to Apple CEO Tim Cook that he take over as CEO of the powerful American tech firm.
In a tweet, Musk denied that the interaction happened, adding that he and Cook “have never spoken or written to each other ever.”
READ MORE: Mountain View Police Arrest Mother For Murder Of Newborn Son
Cook & I have never spoken or written to each other ever.
There was a point where I requested to meet with Cook to talk about Apple buying Tesla. There were no conditions of acquisition proposed whatsoever.
He refused to meet. Tesla was worth about 6% of today’s value.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 30, 2021
Higgins, the author, responded saying the Tesla founder was given “plenty of opportunities” to comment, adding that the anecdote came from “Musk’s own account of the conversation, according to people who heard the retelling at the time.”
Musk was given plenty of opportunities to comment on this. He didn’t. This anecdote comes from Musk’s own account of the conversation, according to people who heard the retelling at the time. https://t.co/GRKZRBsaeR
— Tim Higgins (@timkhiggins) July 30, 2021
The 2015 Musk biography “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future,” by journalist Ashlee Vance, also included an explosive anecdote. Vance claimed, sourced to an anonymous Tesla employee, that the tech entrepreneur once scolded an employee who chose to attend the birth of his child over a work event. Musk denied at the time that such an event took place.
Editor’s Note: Simon & Schuster is a division of ViacomCBS
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© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. CNN contributed to this report.
RALEIGH, N.C. — As COVID-19 cases across the country, including North Carolina, continue to rise, some businesses are once again requiring masks.
What You Need To Know
Quail Ridge Books is once again requiring everyone to wear masks inside the store
The store’s general manager feels it would be hard to enforce a vaccine requirement
One week ago, the CDC said it recommends that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors
New York City will soon require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for indoor dining, performances and gyms
Quail Ridge Books implemented a mask mandate on July 28, and the general manager, Jason Jefferies, says he felt it was the right thing to do after the CDC reversed its guidance.
“No one wants to do this. We do not want to walk this policy back but we feel a responsibility for our community,” Jefferies said. “We just don’t want to see anyone sick or anyone die from this thing.”
As some states weigh the decision whether to require proof of vaccination, Jefferies feels there’s still the possibility of counterfeit cards and it would be hard to enforce that kind of requirement without resources from the state.
“They need to provide some means of policing that they can’t have the expectation that someone who is a cashier or a retail clerk at a counter is able to also be a bouncer, more or less,” Jefferies said.
While no one is certain where the pandemic will go from here, Jefferies is hopeful the book store is doing its part to prevent more people from getting sick.
Jefferies also says he will take the steps he feels are necessary in the future.
“I’m confident that we are prepared to roll back. We don’t want to but if we have to in order to keep everyone safe and healthy then we will,” Jefferies said.
Media Contacts:
Taylor Gage, 402-471-1970
Justin Pinkerman, 402-471-1967
Media Release:
Gov. Ricketts Hosts Ag and Economic Development Summit
Gov. Ricketts (right) interviews former U.S. Ambassador to China
Terry Branstad (left) during today’s summit.
KEARNEY – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts welcomed over 400 leaders to Kearney’s Younes Conference Center for the “Governor’s Summit on Ag and Economic Development,” co-hosted by the Nebraska Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development.
“Nebraska has emerged from the pandemic with the nation’s lowest unemployment, higher-than-expected revenues, and strong overall growth,” said Gov. Ricketts. “Today’s Summit convened leaders from across Nebraska committed to building on this momentum. I look forward to seeing how the collaboration at this year’s Summit turns into action to further prosper and grow our state.”
The annual Summit—a premier forum for discussing issues related to the growth of the state—recommenced this year following 2020’s postponement, with a new format and a dual focus on agriculture and economic development.
“Focusing on agriculture and economic development in the same summit meeting makes sense as great production from Nebraska agriculture means great growth for our state,” said Department of Agriculture Director Steve Wellman. “Today, we were able to bring together many influential leaders in agriculture to identify and discuss topics, trends, and action items needed to move forward to strengthen and grow Nebraska agriculture.”
“We’re proud to be here today with Governor Ricketts, our teammates from the Department of Agriculture, and leaders from around our state to discuss ways we can work together to grow Nebraska,” said Department of Economic Development Director Anthony L. Goins. “We all wear the same jersey, and we all have something to contribute to Nebraska being the best state in the country, and a place where any individual, family, or business owner can come to experience economic opportunities and a high quality of life.”
The Summit kicked off yesterday evening with a reception and banquet hosted by the Nebraska Diplomats, where a number of local, business, and agricultural leaders were recognized for their contributions to the state economy. Honorees included Diplomats Past-President Dan Duncan, who was recognized for his organizational leadership.
Today’s all-day event commenced with welcome remarks from Gov. Ricketts, followed by a full slate of discussion tracks featuring issues central to the state’s growth. Session topics included growing opportunities for Nebraska’s exports, developing value-added agriculture, and expanding broadband connectivity across the state.
Over the lunch hour, Gov. Ricketts interviewed Terry Branstad, the 12th U.S. Ambassador to China and former Governor of Iowa, for the Summit’s keynote. Their wide-ranging conversation covered former Ambassador Branstad’s experience in China during the coronavirus outbreak, U.S.-China trade relations, and the ongoing need to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable to respect human rights and honor international trade agreements.
Watch the Governor’s opening remarks at this year’s Summit by clicking here. Video of Gov. Ricketts’ interview with former Ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, is available by clicking here.
Monsanto Papers
Island Press Logo
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, August 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — The recent announcement by Monsanto owner Bayer AG that it will remove Monsanto’s Roundup weed killers from the U.S. consumer market by 2023 comes four years after Island Press author Carey Gillam exposed decades of corporate secrets and deceptive tactics Monsanto employed to hide the cancer risks of Roundup and expand its use around the world.Gillam’s 2017 book “Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of Science,” won the 2018 Rachel Carson Book Award from the Society of Environmental Journalists and is used by several universities for their public health curriculums. Gillam was called to testify before the European Parliament in 2017 about her findings and helped brief U.S. congressional staffers on the issue.
Her recent second book on the topic “The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice” (published March 2021) describes the drama-filled, blow-by-blow back story of the world’s first-ever trial pitting a cancer victim against Monsanto in the debate over the safety of the company’s Roundup herbicides. The book tells the searing personal tale of plaintiff Lee Johnson and his battle to prove Monsanto caused his terminal disease. The book has recently been optioned for film and television projects.
Corporate powers have attempted to silence and harass Gillam through years of online attacks on her character and credibility and direct efforts to derail her career as a journalist. According to internal corporate documents uncovered through litigation, Monsanto even created a special secret project aimed at discrediting Gillam.
Gillam worked for global news outlet Reuters from 1998-2016. She currently works as a health and environmental researcher at the nonprofit group US Right to Know and as a news contributor to “The Guardian.”
Gillam is available for interview and/or commentary. Contact Jaime Jennings at press@islandpress.org.
Founded in 1984, Island Press works to stimulate, shape, and communicate the information that is essential for solving environmental problems. Today, with more than 1,000 titles in print and some 30 new releases each year, it is the nation’s leading publisher of books on environmental issues. Island Press is driving change by moving ideas from the printed page to public discourse and practice. Island Press’s emphasis is, and will continue to be, on transforming objective information into understanding and action. For more information and further updates be sure to visit www.islandpress.org.
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p class=”contact c8″ dir=”auto”>Jaime Jennings
Island Press
+1 202-232-7933
email us here
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): In recent years, as more information about the 1988 massacre has emerged, Raisi and other former death commission members have publicly defended their roles, sometimes referring to the execution of MEK members as “God’s command.”
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Ebrahim Raisi, a member of the 1988 Massacre’s “Death Commission” assigned as the highest judicial position within the regime.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Iranian people are ripping posters of Ebrahim Raisi, the leading candidate for the regime’s sham presidential election.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Iranian regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei and Ebrahim Raisi.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Ebrahim Raisis record oppression of women.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Ebrahim Raisi, a member of the 1988 Massacre’s “Death Commission” assigned as the highest judicial position within the regime.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Ebrahim Raisi, a member of the 1988 Massacre’s “Death Commission” assigned as the highest judicial position within the regime.
(PMOI / MEK Iran) and (NCRI): Ebrahim Raisi, a member of the 1988 Massacre’s “Death Commission” Iranian regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s choice to be the nexet president
The crimes in question certainly include the systematic torture that the judiciary meted out under Raisi’s leadership in the wake of the 2019 uprising.
PARIS, FRANCE, August 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — This week, Ebrahim Raisi officially becomes president of the regime in Iran. While virtually all of Iran’s high-ranking officials have had blood on their hands, Raisi’s orchestrated June 18 “election” was a particularly egregious example of such officials being rewarded for a history of human rights abuses. His inauguration represents an important test for the international communities, particularly Western democracies that pride themselves on shared humanitarian values.On June 19, Amnesty International released a statement condemning the Iranian regime’s move to promote Raisi to the presidency after he had served two years as judiciary chief and contributed to the further degradation of Iran’s already abysmal human rights record. “That Ebrahim Raisi has risen to the presidency instead of being investigated for the crimes against humanity of murder, enforced disappearance and torture, is a grim reminder that impunity reigns supreme in Iran,” said the organization’s Secretary-General, Agnès Calamard.
The crimes in question certainly include the systematic torture that the judiciary meted out under Raisi’s leadership in the wake of a nationwide uprising in November 2019. But those actions only compound to serve a legacy that he had established more than 30 years earlier when, as Tehran’s deputy public prosecutor, he played a leading role in the massacre of political prisoners during the summer of 1988.
Raisi was among the first individuals appointed to the “death commissions” that proliferated across the country in response to a fatwa from then-Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, which declared that all political prisoners affiliated to the Mojahedin-e-Khalq, MEK, were to be considered as “waging war on God,” and sentenced to death. The death commissions were tasked with interrogating political prisoners over their beliefs and affiliations, focusing especially on persons believed to be associated with the MEK.
In recent years, as more information about the 1988 massacre has emerged, Raisi and other former death commission members have publicly defended their roles, sometimes referring to the execution of MEK members as “God’s command.” Such shameless displays seem to have only reinforced decisions by the current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, to reward those participants for their service to the suppression of dissent. Raisi’s rapid ascendance to the offices of judiciary chief and then president indicates that the pace of this reward has increased, no doubt in recognition of the danger the regime faces in the wake of the 2019 uprising.
Unfortunately, the international community has made such promotions possible by ignoring the “impunity” that was sharply criticized by Amnesty International in June and has been similarly criticized on many occasions by the MEK and other groups with a keen understanding of the regime’s crimes against humanity. Those groups have been calling out for years for Western powers and the United Nations to launch an official commission of inquiry into the 1988 massacre or to take any other action that demonstrates a genuine interest in accountability for participants in that massacre.
Ultimately, the international community must provide an affirmative answer to these requests. In the meantime, however, the very least it can do is avoid signaling that Tehran’s impunity remains intact and that the Supreme Leader is free to continue handing off the most influential positions in government and the private sector to death commission members or other advocates for violent attacks on political adversaries. It must be acknowledged that this is exactly the sort of signal the world would be sending if it welcomed Raisi, a well-known human rights abuser, at state visits or at the UN General Assembly.
It was announced that Enrique Mora, one of the European Union’s senior officials, will attend Raisi’s inauguration on August 4. In this regard, Josep Borrell, the EU’s chief diplomat, said: “It is crucial to engage diplomatically with the new administration and pass directly important messages.”
This stance on Raisi’s presidency and participation in Raisi’s inauguration, while many human rights organizations call for his accountability, is a disgrace for the EU.
On July 12, at the Free Iran World Summit, former US Congressman Robert Torricelli expressed disgust at the prospect of Raisi’s present at such an august venue. “If the United Nations decides that Raisi belongs to the United Nations,” he said, “then the United Nations does not belong in New York. We must not host terrorists, despots, and mass murderers.” It is a sentiment that applies equally well to the presence of the UN offices in Vienna and Geneva. The international governing body would be defamed throughout the world if it permitted Raisi to represent the people whose families he has killed by the thousands.
The same can be said of the European Union, its member states, and any other bodies that are in a position to formally receive Iran’s new president. If anyone does so, it should only be in order to arrest him on the principle of universal jurisdiction, as Sweden did in 2019 with former Iranian prison official Hamid Noury, another notorious participant in the 1988 massacre.
If no Western government has the courage to take such unilateral action against Raisi, then they must isolate him on the world stage and push for the long-overdue investigations that would inevitably lead to his prosecution at the International Criminal Court.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a professor of atomic and nuclear physics, was vice-president of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014. He is President of the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)
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Who is Ebrahim Raisi, a candidate in Iran presidential election and an executioner in 1988 massacre
PLYMOUTH, Pa. (AP) — A book checked out a half-century ago has been anonymously returned to a library in northeastern Pennsylvania, officials said.
The Wilkes-Barre Citizens’ Voice reports that the 1967 copy of “Coins You Can Collect” by Burton Hobson arrived last month at the Plymouth Public Library in Luzerne County along with a $20 bill.
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An accompanying unsigned letter, written as if by the book itself, said “Fifty years ago (yes 50!), a little girl checked me out of this library in 1971. At this time, she didn’t know they were going to move from Plymouth. Back then, kids weren’t told things like that.
“As you can see, she took very good care of me,” the letter continued, explaining that it was packed away often for frequent moves but was “always with many other books.”
The writer, speaking in her own voice rather than as the book, then says she often intended to send the book back but somehow never got around to it.
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“This became a running joke in my family. Each time we moved, they always asked me if I packed ‘the Plymouth Book,’” she wrote.
The letter writer said she knew the $20 wouldn’t come close to paying the accrued fine, but suggested “Perhaps you can pay off some fines of some kids with it.”
Library director Laura Keller said she did just that, paying “some hefty fines” of a young mother who wanted to start borrowing books again. Borrowing privileges at the library are suspended if fines exceed $5, she said.
Both letter and book will soon be on display at the library, Keller said. The writer’s identity remains a mystery, although she said her family and friends would know the story was about her if it was published in a local newspaper.
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By — Shyamal Sinha
Ladakh has been witnessing increased development over the past two years as the government has implemented several development projects that aim to build a green and prosperous future for its residents.
New Delhi is focusing on developing Ladakh frontier region that has been neglected for years with new tunnels and roads being carved out in the toughest terrains of the Himalayan region, reported Saudi Gazette.
The people of Ladakh had sought UT status way back in 1949 in order to address the development needs of the area. The region got the status on August 5, 2019 with the government abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.
Work on infrastructure projects like roads and tunnels has gained pace. Even the remotest border villages are now being connected to the telephone network and the Internet through fiber-optic cables powered by solar electricity generation units, reported Saudi Gazette.
The UT administration has chalked out an ambitious plan for ensuring the all-around development of the region and its people.
Several development projects have been kick-started by the government including the Alusteng-Drass-Kargil-Leh transmission system, which was completed in February last year. The move helped Ladakh to be linked to the national grid ensuring an uninterrupted reliable, quality power supply to the region, the report said.
In February 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Dah hydroelectric project and had dedicated the 220 KV transmission for overall electrification for providing sufficient electricity for each household.
Approximately, Rs 60 billion has been allocated for the development of Ladakh for the fiscal year 2020-21. Nine projects with an outlay of Rs.214.4 billion were transferred to the UT of Ladakh.
The Colonel Chewang Rinchen Bridge has been constructed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) in a record time of one month, which provides all-weather connectivity in the region.
In addition, 82-meter Span Motorable Bridge over River Shayok at Rongdo in Nubra has been opened for the public. The Ladakh administration has formulated new rules under which jobs would be reserved exclusively for locals, reported Saudi Gazette.
India’s Renewable Energy Ministry has also drawn up a plan to scale a 23,000 MW grid connecting the mega solar project in Ladakh with a 7,500 MW package forming the first part of a larger project.
PM Modi had also inaugurated a plan for the first central university in Ladakh with a Centre on Buddhist Studies helping over 10,000 Ladakhi students.
He had also vowed to make Ladakh a carbon-free region in the coming years with the start of the Ladakh Greenhouse project targeted to increase the availability of vegetables throughout the year.
“Cultural tourism” which is one of the key development planks for the area has been given a boost with homestay at monasteries along with eco-tourism and ecological activities like bird watching, wildlife safaris.
Overall tourist arrival in Ladakh in 2019 stood at 279,937. Until June 2020, total tourist arrivals in Ladakh were 6,079, of which 5,019 were domestic and 1,060 were foreign tourists, the report said.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured making functional the Siachen Glacier for tourists, opening some more border villages for tourism, construction of strategic roads, development of border villages, and movement of Nomads for grazing in the areas located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the report said
The Indian federal government approved on September 23, 2019, the establishment of a new medical college in Leh district of the newly created Ladakh Union Territory, following receipt of requests from the locals about improving healthcare facilities in the Himalayan region, the report added.
The Cabinet also approved the creation of one post of managing director for the corporation in the pay scale of ₹144,200- ₹218,200 level,” the government said in a press release. “The authorized share capital of the corporation will be ₹25 crore and recurring expenditure will be around ₹2.42 crore per year. It is a new establishment. Presently, there is no similar organization within the newly formed UT of Ladakh.”
The government added that the approval has the potential to generate employment as the corporation will be undertaking various developmental activities. “The corporation will work for industry, tourism, transport and marketing of local products and handicraft. Corporation will also work as the main construction agency for infrastructure development in Ladakh,” the government said.
The government said it will result in inclusive and integrated development of :Ladakh.
“It [will] increase domestic production of goods and services and will facilitate their smooth supply. Thus, the approval will help in realizing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the statement read.
The government has also approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for specialty steel in an initiative aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and exports and cutting down the import burden for the sector, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said. The scheme will be applicable for five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
“With a budgetary outlay of ₹6,322 crores, the scheme is expected to bring in investment of approximately ₹40,000 crores and capacity addition of 25 metric tonne (MT) for speciality steel. The scheme will give employment to about 525,000 people, of which, 68,000 will be direct employment. Speciality steel has been chosen as the target segment because out of the 102 million tonnes steel produced in India in 2020-21, only 18 million tonnes of value added steel or speciality steel was produced in the country,” said the government statement.
Sourced – (ANI)
The number of deaths in the four remaining WHO regions of Africa, Americas, Europe and South-East Asia was in keeping with previous weeks, apart from the Americas, which dropped 29 per cent.
Africa and Europe witnessed a two per cent decrease in COVID-19 deaths, while South-East Asia registered a three per cent increase, according to WHO’s COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update.
Overall, the total number of reported cases is around 197 million and with 4.2 million deaths worldwide.
Ranked by country, the United States topped the number of new infections over the past week, with 543,420 new cases, a nine per cent jump, followed by India, which had 283,923 new cases and a seven per cent increase.
Indonesia had 273,891 new cases, followed by Brazil’s 247,830 and Iran’s 206,722 new infections.
While Alpha variant infections have been reported in 182 countries, the Delta variant has been confirmed in three new countries, infecting a total of 135 nations.
By region, WHO said that Africa – now in the grip of its third coronavirus wave – had reported similar numbers of weekly cases and deaths as the previous seven-day period, with just over 182,000 new cases and more than 4,800 new deaths.
Nonetheless, the UN agency explained that the overall regional decrease in confirmed weekly infections and deaths on the continent since the middle of July is still being driven by falling numbers in South Africa, which dwarfed the 13,268 new cases in Mozambique over the past seven-day period.
In the Americas, where there have been more than 1.2 million new infections and over 20,000 COVID-19 deaths in the past week and WHO noted an increase in Mexico, which had 80.1 new cases per 100,000.
Brazil experienced 7,120 fatalities, making it the highest numbers of deaths in the region, followed by Mexico with 2,502 deaths and 2,455 in the United States.
In the Eastern Mediterranean, as increase in cases and deaths were mainly driven by Iran, where new infections were rose to more than 206,000; Iraq with 83,098 cases; and Morocco, which witnessed 48,366 new cases.
After more than a month of increases in COVID-19 infections and deaths, Europe saw a drop in weekly cases – driven by decreases in Spain and the UK.
However, at just over 8,000, the death toll in Europe was similar to the previous week, driven by 5,478 new fatalities in Russia, 524 in the UK and 453 in Turkey’.
With 187,268 confirmed cases, UK ranked highest in new infections followed by Russia, with 162,136, and Turkey, which registered 139,667new COVID-19 infections.
While the number of weekly deaths remained stable, at 22,000 in South-East Asia, new infections topped 841,000.
In addition to an increase in India, Indonesia saw 273,891 new cases while Thailand registered more than 118,000 new infections. These three countries accounted for 80 per cent of new cases reported in the region.
The highest numbers of new deaths in South-East Asia were in Indonesia (12,444 fatalities) followed by India (3,800) and then Myanmar (2,620).
In the Western Pacific, WHO reported that Japan and Malaysia drove a spike in infections while attributing an increase in deaths largely to Malaysia (1,122 new deaths) and Viet Nam (936).
As cases increased in most of the Western Pacific last week, WHO traced the highest numbers to Malaysia (116,879 new infections), Japan (60,157) and Viet Nam (55,147).
The anticipated third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to hit India in August which may reach its peak in October when the country is expected to report less than 1,00,000 infections daily in the best-case scenario or nearly 1,50,000 in the pessimistic scenario, according to a study.
A research team led by professors Mathukumalli Vidyasagar and Manindra Agrawal at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Hyderabad and Kanpur respectively said that the rise in coronavirus cases will push the third wave.
States with high caseload, such as Kerala and Maharashtra, could “skew the picture”, Vidyasagar told Bloomberg in an email.
Last month, Agrawal, who is also a scientist of a government panel tasked with modelling of COVID-19 cases, had said that the possible third wave of coronavirus may see half the daily cases recorded during the second surge and it can hit its peak between October-November if COVID-appropriate behaviour is not followed.
The predicted single-day count is less than half of what was recorded when the deadly second wave had hit its peak in the first half of May, claiming thousands of lives daily and leading to shortage of oxygen supply and beds in several hospitals.
On May 7, India had recorded 4,14,188 COVID-19 cases, the highest daily figure during the second wave.
The Centre recently said that ten states are either reporting a rise in new daily COVID cases or an upsurge in the Test Positivity Rate (TPR). It suggested strict restrictions in districts with a positivity rate of more than 10 per cent, to prevent crowds and intermingling of people.
The ten states are – Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Manipur.
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A day-long workshop for cadets from different military groups organized by the Civil Affairs Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) saw 50 participants who were trained on the basics of civil-military cooperation. The training took place in Maridi Training Centre, Western Equatoria, and is part of the mission’s ongoing support to the South Sudanese government in implementing all provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
“This training is critical for young cadets as it teaches them how to work with civilians, protect them when the need arises and address any related issue,” explained Emmanuel Dukundane, a Civil Affairs Officer with the peacekeeping mission here. “We are hopeful that the skills they have learned here today will enable them to hit the ground running when they assume their formal roles and responsibilities.”
“This training has been very useful for me and my fellow cadets,” said Captain Juma Maluo from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces. “We have learnt a lot from international law and human rights principles to building trust and confidence among all communities we are here to serve. As uniformed personnel it’s very important for us to be agents of peace who are equipped to prevent conflict,” he added.
For her part, Captain Gisma Abudi Modi, a trainee from the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (IO), feels that an important aspect of the workshop was bringing together both men and women in uniform who represent different political parties. “We might have differing political views or look at issues through our own respective gender lenses; but, we are all united in one thing—our job is to protect all our people so that this young nation can progress on the path to a sustainable peace,” she stated.
The training workshop received appreciation from Major-General Justin Alfred, Acting Commander, 6th Division, and all participants.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
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A UN report published today details the dire and worsening human rights situation over the past year in the Central African Republic (CAR), where armed groups carried out a violent bid to disrupt elections. In response, the country’s defence and security forces launched military operations to retake territory from them.
The joint report by the UN Human Rights Office and MINUSCA, the UN Mission in CAR, covers the period from July 2020 to June 2021 in the context of the presidential poll, held in December 2020, and legislative elections, which took place in December 2020, and March and May 2021*.
The Human Rights Division of MINUSCA documented 526 incidents of abuses and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law across the country during this period. These violations affected at least 1,221 victims, including 144 civilians or those hors de combat who were killed by the parties to the conflict.
Among the documented abuses and violations are extrajudicial and summary killings, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detentions, unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, conflict-related sexual violence and serious violations against children, including their recruitment by parties to the conflict. In addition, the report notes that attacks and threats of attacks forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes.
A coalition of armed groups, known as the CPC (Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement), was responsible for over half of the documented incidents (54 per cent).
The CPC killed and abducted civilians, attacked UN peacekeepers, looted the premises of humanitarian organisations, threatening their staff, and burned down polling stations. In one incident on 19 March, an armed group affiliated with the CPC killed three traders in Ouaka prefecture, after tying them up and torturing them. Their bodies were subsequently found with their voting cards tied around their necks.
The Central African Armed Forces (FACA), Internal Security Forces (FSI) and other security personnel – including Russian military instructors deployed under an agreement between the Governments of CAR and the Russian Federation, and private military contractors operating in the country – were responsible for 46 per cent of the confirmed incidents.
Credible evidence gathered by the MINUSCA Human Rights Division indicated that these other security personnel were involved in military training and actively participated in military operations, including arresting suspects, and inflicting inhumane treatment and torture on some of them. On a number of occasions and in different locations, they were also reportedly involved in extrajudicial killings.
The Human Rights Division also confirmed an increase in attacks on members of the Muslim community by the FACA, FSI and other security personnel between February and June 2021. Further reports indicate that the deliberate targeting of Muslims over their alleged affiliation with armed groups was continuing.
“All parties to the conflict are continuing to commit atrocities, amid a deteriorating security situation, particularly in the provinces. A political solution to this crisis and the full respect at all times of international humanitarian and human rights law by all parties to the conflict are the only viable path to a durable peace and sustainable development in CAR,” said Mankeur Ndiaye, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MINUSCA.
The CAR Government has recently taken steps to promote and protect human rights, including the establishment of a special commission of inquiry on 4 May to investigate violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law linked to the elections. This, the report says, “represents a positive step toward accountability and in the fight against impunity”.
“Addressing past and current human rights violations in a manner meaningful to victims is essential to break the long and agonising cycle of violence in the Central African Republic,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. “To that end, there must be thorough, impartial and effective investigations into all alleged violations and abuses and those responsible must be held to account.”
In its recommendations, the report calls on armed groups to cease all attacks on the civilian population, including sexual violence and recruitment of children, and to re-engage in the peace process.
The report further urges the Government to take appropriate measures to hold those responsible for human rights violations and abuses accountable and to create a protective environment for civilians and humanitarian workers. It also calls on the Government to ensure the FACA, FSI and other security personnel leave all civilian buildings, including schools and hospitals, which they have illegally occupied.
The report also urges the international community to support the Government’s efforts to tackle the long-standing culture of impunity in CAR and to provide the necessary support for the professionalization of the FACA and FSI to enable them to fulfil their primary role of protecting civilians and promoting and protecting their human rights at all times.
Read the full report (in French) here
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).