Researchers Try Producing Potato Resistant To Climate Change

 

Researchers at the University of Maine, in the United States, are trying to produce potatoes that can better withstand warming temperatures as the climate changes.

Warming temperatures and an extended growing season can lead to quality problems and disease, Gregory Porter, a professor of crop ecology and management, told the Bangor Daily News.

The predictions for climate change are heavier rainfall events, and potatoes don't tolerate flooding or wet conditions for long without having other quality problems, Porter said. "If we want potatoes to be continued to be produced successfully in Maine, we need to be able to produce varieties that can be resistant to change."

Around the world, research aimed at mitigating crop damage is underway. A NASA study published this month suggests climate change may affect the production of corn and wheat, reducing yields of both, as soon as 2030.

Maine is coming off of a banner potato crop thanks in part to the success of the Caribou russet, which was developed by UMaine researchers. But Porter fears that even that variety isn't as heat tolerant as necessary to resist the future effects of climate change.

Pests are another factor. The Colorado potato beetle and disease-spreading aphids have flourished with the changing climate, said Jim Dill, pest management specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Breeding seemingly small changes like hairier leaves that make it difficult for insects to move around on the plant can cut down on pests' destruction and also the need for pesticides, he said.

Breeding such characteristics into potatoes is a long process of cross-pollinating different potato varieties.

The process is well underway.

They're in a research testing phase right now at sites throughout the United States. Test potatoes in Virginia, North Carolina and Florida are testing high temperature stress.

It takes 10 years of selection after that initial cross pollination, and it might take two to five years before enough commercial evaluation has taken place to release a new potato variety, Porter said. (AP)

Obesity Rising Among Kids, Adults In India

 

According to the survey data, 30 states and union territories registered a rise in obesity among women while 33 states and UTs recorded an increase in obesity among men

There has been a rise in obesity among children under five years of age, with 33 states and union territories registering a spike in the number of overweight children, according to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS). 

Experts attributed the increase in obesity to lack of physical activity and unhealthy food habits.

The number of overweight children increased from 2.1 per cent in NFHS-4 to 3.4 per cent in NFHS-5.
Not just children, obesity among women and men also increased.

The percentage of overweight women rose from 20.6 per cent to 24 per cent, while in men the number increased from 18.9 per cent to 22.9 per cent, according to the NFHS-5.

Several states and union territories, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Mizoram, Tripura, Lakshadweep, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Ladakh, have registered increase in the percentage of obesity among children below five years of age in comparison to NFHS-4, conducted between 2015 and 2016.

Only Goa, Tamil Nadu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu registered a drop in the number of overweight children under five years of age, the data showed.

According to the survey data, 30 states and union territories registered a rise in obesity among women while 33 states and UTs recorded an increase in obesity among men.

Men and women were counted as obese when their body mass index was found to be over or equal to 25.0 kg/m2 while children’s obesity was counted in terms of weight-for-height.

Healthcare experts have attributed the rise in obesity to unhealthy food choices and lack of physical activity among children and even adults.

Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director at the Population Foundation of India, said behind the trend of increasing obesity among Indian women, men and children over the past 15 years, confirmed by NFHS-5, are rising incomes, poor dietary habits, and unhealthy life choices.

“Sustained economic growth over the past 15 years has led to a marked increase in people’s incomes. We know that obesity among Indians goes up as they become wealthier. In 2015-16, according to NFHS-4, the proportion of overweight or obese men was five per cent among families in the lowest wealth quintile and 33 per cent in the highest wealth quintile,” she said.

“Similarly, the proportion of overweight or obese women was six per cent among families in the lowest wealth quintile and 36 per cent in the highest wealth quintile."

However, blaming rising incomes is not fair. 

Much has also to do with poor eating habits. "The consumption of unhealthy foods (popularly termed junk foods) that are high in calories from sugar or fat and contain little dietary fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals is known to increase as families become wealthier,” Muttreja said.

Besides these problems, a vast majority of Indians do not seem to recognise the importance of leading a healthy and active life. They tend to lead sedentary lives and lack the motivation to do exercise of any kind, including going for walks.

Sadly, parents do not seem to realise the adverse consequences of these life choices on the health and nutritional well-being of children, she added.

Dr Antaryami Dash, Head, Nutrition, Save the Children, India, said every nation is entering a situation with double burden of malnutrition where there is a co-existence of undernutrition (stunting/wasting/underweight) and overnutrition (overweight/obesity) at the population level. The prevalence is highest in western and industrialised countries, but (it is) gradually catching up in developing countries.

“Although current understanding of the health consequences of overweight and obesity is predominately based on adult studies, increasing evidence suggests that childhood obesity has a number of immediate, intermediate, and long-term health consequences. This is arising out of an obesogenic environment, which includes changing food systems and reduced physical activity,” Dash said.

He said although cost-effective interventions such as WHO’s ‘best buys’ have been identified, political will and implementation have so far been limited.

There is a need for effective programmes and policies in multiple sectors to address overnutrition, undernutrition, mobility and physical activity, he added.

 

 

 

Long Overdue For Perpetrators Of Mumbai Attacks To Face Justice: Blinken

 

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (Reuters)

While praising the resilience of Mumbaikars on the 13th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has emphasised the need for a speedy trial of the perpetrators of the carnage carried out by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists in 2008.

On November 26, 2008, a group of 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists from Pakistan went on a rampage, carrying out coordinated attacks on a railway station, two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre in Mumbai, after they sneaked into India's financial capital using the sea route in the Arabian Sea.

As many as 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the nearly 60-hour assault that sent shockwaves across the country and even brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.

"Thirteen years have passed since the 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai. On today's anniversary, we remember the victims, including six Americans, and the resiliency of Mumbaikars. It is long overdue for the perpetrators to face justice," Blinken said in a tweet on Friday.

The United States and India remain united in the fight against terrorism, said Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

"On my recent trip to Mumbai, I visited the 26/11 Memorial at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the horrific Mumbai terror attack," she said.

"Today on the 13th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, we remember the lives tragically lost. This injustice cannot be forgotten," tweeted Congressman Elise Stefanik.

Separately, the Indian embassy organised a solemn event within its premises to mark the 13th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

It was attended by Jennifer Larson, Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, State Department; Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch and several community members, along with the embassy officials.

The event was marked by the lighting of candles by dignitaries. This was followed by observing one-minute silence in memory of the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Remarks were made by dignitaries stressing the necessity of coordinated efforts to fight terrorism, and to bring perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice.

While Larson highlighted the India-US cooperation in the field of counterterrorism, Shemtov recalled the strong India-US relationship and friendship between the Jewish people and India.

He also appreciated the visit of Moshe Holtzberg (who lost his parents in the attacks) to India in 2018 at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman among the Pakistani group, was hanged to death in Yerawada Jail in Pune.

India has been pressing Pakistan to punish those involved in the dastardly attack but the trial of the accused in the attack has made little headway so far.

In New Delhi, India on Friday summoned a senior diplomat of the Pakistan High Commission and pressed for an expeditious trial in the case, saying the families of 166 victims from 15 countries are still awaiting closure.

In a note verbale handed over to the diplomat, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also asked Pakistan to abide by its commitment to not allow territories under its control for terrorism against India. 

Afghan Girl From Famous Cover Portrait Is Evacuated To Italy

 

Sharbat Gulla was photographed by Steve McCurry in 1984 for the National Geographic magazine (Reuters)

National Geographic magazine's famed green-eyed Afghan Girl has arrived in Italy as part of the West's evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country, the Italian government said on Thursday.

The office of Premier Mario Draghi said Italy organised the evacuation of Sharbat Gulla after she asked to be helped to leave the country. The Italian government will now help to get her integrated into life in Italy, the statement said.

Gulla gained international fame in 1984 as an Afghan refugee girl, after war photographer Steve McCurry's photograph of her, with piercing green eyes, was published on the cover of National Geographic. McCurry found her again in 2002.

In 2014, she surfaced in Pakistan but went into hiding when authorities accused her of buying a fake Pakistani identity card and ordered her deported. She was flown to Kabul where the president hosted a reception for her at the presidential palace and handed her keys to a new apartment.

Italy was one of several Western countries that airlifted hundreds of Afghans out of the country following the departure of US forces and the Taliban takeover in August.

 

31 Migrants Feared Dead After Boat Capsizes In English Channel

 

A RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat carrying migrants approaches a beach in Dungeness on the south-east coast of England after they are picked up crossing the English Channel (AFP)

At least 31 migrants bound for Britain died on Wednesday when their boat sank in the English Channel, in what France’s interior minister called the biggest migration tragedy on the dangerous crossing to date.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 34 people were believed to have been on the boat. Authorities found 31 bodies — including those of five women and a young girl — and two survivors, he said. One person appeared to still be missing. The nationalities of the travellers was not immediately known.

The regional maritime authority, which oversees rescue operations, later said 27 bodies were found, two people survived and four others were missing and presumed drowned. The discrepancy in the numbers was not immediately explained.

Ever-increasing numbers of people fleeing conflict or poverty in Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, Eritrea or elsewhere are risking the perilous journey in small, unseaworthy craft from France, hoping to win asylum or find better opportunities in Britain. The crossings have tripled this year compared to 2020, and another 106 migrants were rescued in French waters on Wednesday alone.

A joint French-British search operation for survivors of the sinking was called off late on Wednesday. Both countries cooperate to stem migration across the Channel but also accuse each other of not doing enough — and the issue is often used by politicians on both sides pushing an anti-migration agenda.

Four suspected traffickers were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of being linked to the sunken boat, Darmanin told reporters in the French port city of Calais. He said two of the suspects later appeared in court.

The regional prosecutor opened an investigation into aggravated manslaughter, organised illegal migration and other charges after the sinking. Lille Prosecutor Carole Etienne told The Associated Press that officials were still working to identify the victims and determine their ages and nationalities, and that the investigation may involve multiple countries.

“It’s a day of great mourning for France, for Europe, for humanity to see these people die at sea,” Darmanin said. He lashed out at “criminal traffickers” driving thousands to risk the crossing.

Activists demonstrated outside the port of Calais on Wednesday night, accusing governments of not doing enough to respond to migrants’ needs. Hundreds of people live in precarious conditions along the French coast, despite regular police patrols and evacuation operations.

The bodies were brought to the Calais port, Jean-Marc Puissesseau, head of the ports of Calais and Boulogne, told The AP. “We were waiting for something like this to happen,” he said, given the growing numbers of people risking the passage.

Aid groups blamed European governments for increasingly hard-line migration policies. “The UK is not a choice, it is an escape, an escape for people fleeing the lack of welcome in Europe,” said Nikolai Posner of French charity Utopia 56.

Darmanin called for coordination with the UK, saying “the response must also come from Great Britain.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke after Wednesday’s tragedy and agreed “that it is vital to keep all options on the table to stop these lethal crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs behind them,” Johnson’s office said.

Downing Street said the two leaders “underlined the importance of close working with neighbours in Belgium and the Netherlands as well as partners across the continent if we are to tackle the problem effectively before people reach the French coast.”

Macron stressed “the shared responsibility” of France and the UK and told Johnson he expects full cooperation from the British and that they do not use the tragic situation “for political purposes,” the Elysee said.

Macron advocated an immediate funding boost for the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, and an emergency meeting of European government ministers, according to his office. “France will not allow the Channel to become a cemetery,” Macron said.

Johnson convened a meeting of the government’s crisis committee, and said he was “shocked, appalled and deeply saddened.”

He urged France to step up efforts to stem the flow of migrants, and said Wednesday’s incident highlighted how efforts by French authorities to patrol their beaches “haven’t been enough.”

“We’ve had difficulties persuading some of our partners, particularly the French, to do things in a way that we think the situation deserves,” he told reporters.

Darmanin insisted that France has worked hard to prevent crossings, rescuing 7,800 people since January and stopping 671 who were trying to cross on Wednesday alone.

A French naval boat spotted several bodies in the water around 2 pm and rescue boats retrieved several dead and injured from the surrounding waters, a maritime authority spokesperson said. French patrol boats, a French helicopter and a British helicopter searched the area.

Covaxin Only 50% Effective At Height Of India Infections: Small Study

 

Covaxin received emergency-use authorisation in India in January even before the completion of the late-stage trial

Bharat Biotech's vaccine was only 50% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in a high-risk population during a devastating second wave of infections in India this year, data gleaned from hospital workers showed.

The real world study for Covaxin, conducted April 15-May 15, compares with a 77.8% effectiveness rate in a late-stage trial of more than 25,000 participants that was conducted November 2020 to January 2021.

The new data analysed just over 1,000 COVID-19 cases with a test-negative control case group, matching by age and gender, according to the study which was published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The much lower effectiveness rate for the two-dose shot seen in the new study can possibly be attributed to the fact that the study was restricted to hospital employees who had a higher risk of being infected than the general population, that it was conducted during a surge in infections and also to the prevalence of the Delta variant at the time, the study concluded.

Covaxin, which Bharat Biotech co-developed with an Indian research body, received emergency-use authorisation in India in January even before the completion of the late-stage trial.

It is the only homegrown vaccine being used in India's vaccination programme, although it accounts for only about 11% of the 1.18 billion doses administered so far.

Covaxin has also been approved in countries such as Vietnam and Brazil. Bharat Biotech's U.S. partner, Ocugen, has submitted a request to the U.S. FDA for emergency use approval. (Reuters)

Other Species From Around The World Pose A Threat To Antarctica's Fragile Ecosystem

 

Each vessel, each cargo item, and each person could be harbouring non-native species, hitchhiking their way south, and this poses a threat to Antarctica's fragile ecosystem

(The Conversation: By Dana M Bergstrom, Principal Research Scientist, University of Wollongong and Shavawn Donoghue, Adjunct Researcher, University of Tasmania)

We tend to think Antarctica is isolated and far away biologically speaking, this is true. But the continent is busier than you probably imagine, with many national programs and tourist operators crisscrossing the globe to get there.

And each vessel, each cargo item, and each person could be harbouring non-native species, hitchhiking their way south. This threat to Antarctica's fragile ecosystem is what our new evaluation grapples with.

We mapped the last five years of planes and ships visiting the continent, illuminating for the first time the extent of travel across the hemispheres and the potential source locations for non-native species. We found that, luckily, while some have breached Antarctica, they generally have yet to get a stranglehold, leaving the continent still relatively pristine.

But Antarctica is getting busier, with new research stations, rebuilding and more tourism activities planned. Our challenge is to keep it pristine under this growing human activity and climate change threat.

Life Evolved In Isolation

Biodiversity-wise, much of the planet is mixed up. The scientific term is homogenisation, where species, such as weeds, pests and diseases, from one place are transported elsewhere and establish.

This means they begin to reproduce and influence the ecosystem, often to the detriment of the locals.

Most life in Antarctica is jammed onto tiny coastal ice-free fringes, and this is where most research stations, ships and people are.

This includes unique animals (think Adlie penguins, Weddell seals and snow petrels), mosses and lichens that harbour tiny invertebrates (such as mites, waterbears and springtails), and an array of microbes such as cyanobacteria. The adjacent coast and ocean team with life, too.

The more we learn about them, the more outstanding life at the end of the planetary spectrum becomes. Just this week, new scientific discoveries identified that some Antarctic bacteria live on air, and make their own water using hydrogen as fuel.

When the Southern Ocean was formed some 30 million years ago, natural barriers were created with the rest of the world. This includes the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the strongest ocean current on the planet, and its associated strong westerly surface winds, icy air and ocean temperatures.

This means life in Antarctica evolved in isolation, with flora and fauna that commonly exist nowhere else and can cope with frigid conditions. But the simplicity of Antarctica's food webs can often mean there are gaps in the ecosystem that other species from around the world can fill.

In May 2014, for example, routine biosecurity surveillance detected non-native springtails (tiny insect-like invertebrates) in a hydroponic facility at an Australian Antarctic station.

This station, an ice-free oasis, previously lacked these interlopers, and they had the potential to alter the local fragile ecosystem permanently. Thankfully, a rapid and effective response successfully eradicated them.

Pressures from climate change are exacerbating the challenges of human activity on Antarctica, as climate change is bringing milder conditions to these wildlife-rich areas, both on land and sea.

As glaciers melt, new areas are exposed, which allows non-Antarctic species greater opportunity to establish and possibly outcompete locals for resources, such as nutrients and precious, ice-free space.

So Far, We've Been Lucky

Our past research focused on non-native propagules -- things that propagate like microbes, viruses, seeds, spores, insects and pregnant rats and how they entrain themselves into Antarctica.

They can be easily caught on people's clothing and equipment, in fresh food, cargo and machinery. In fact, research from the last decade found that visitors who hadn't cleaned their clothing and equipment carried on average nine seeds each.

But few non-native species have established in Antarctica, despite their best efforts.

To date, only 11 non-native invertebrate species including springtails, mites, a midge and an earthworm have established across a range of locations in the warmer parts of Antarctica, including Signy Island and the Antarctic Peninsula. In the marine realm, some non-native species have been seen but it's thought none have survived and established.

Microbes are another matter. Each visitor to Antarctica carries millions of microbial passengers, and many of these microbes are left behind. Around most research stations, human gut microbes from sewage have mingled with native microbes, including exchanging antibiotic resistance genes.

Last year, for example, a rare harmful bacteria, pathogenic to both humans and birds, was detected in guano (poo) from both Adlie and gentoo penguin colonies at sites with high rates of human visitors. COVID-19 also made its way to Antarctica last December.

Both these cases risk so-called reverse zoonosis, where humans spread disease to local wildlife.

What Do We Do About It?

Three factors have helped maintain Antarctica's near-pristine status: the physical isolation, cold conditions and co-operation between nations through the Antarctic Treaty. The Treaty is underpinned by the Environmental Protocol, which aims to prevent and respond to threats and pressures to the continent.

There is unanimous commitment from Antarctic Treaty nations towards preventing the establishment of non-native species. This includes adopting a science-based, non-native species manual, which provides guidance on how to prevent, monitor, and respond to introductions of non-native species.

But time is of the essence. We must better prepare for the inevitable arrival of more non-native species to prevent them from establishing, as we continue to break the barriers protecting Antarctica.

One approach is to tailor the newly developed 3As approach to environmental management: Awareness of values, Anticipation of the pressures, Action to stem the pressures.

This means ramping up monitoring, taking note of predictions of what non-native species could sneak through biosecurity and establish under new conditions, and putting in place pre-determined response plans to act quickly when they do.

Many Farmers' Issues Still Need To Be Resolved: Tikait

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait is seen at the Ghazipur border near New Delhi (PTI)

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday said that besides the repealing of the three agri laws, there are many issues faced by farmers that need to be resolved as a large number of them gathered in Lucknow for a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' to press for their demands for a legal guarantee for MSP, among other things.

"It seems that after announcing repealing of the three farm laws, the government does not want to speak to the farmers. The government should make it clear that it has repealed the laws in the true sense and talk to us so that we can start moving to our villages," Tikait told PTI.

The 'mahapanchayat' has been called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of the agitating farmer unions. It was planned months before Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced repeal of the contentious agri laws. The SKM, at a meeting in Delhi on Sunday, decided to stick to the date.

The SKM has put forth six demands before the government. Besides the legal guarantee for minimum support price, the farmers are demanding the removal of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, whose son is an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, withdrawal of cases against farmers, building a memorial for the protesters who lost their lives during the agitation and withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill.

The issues of MSP, seeds, dairy and pollution need to be resolved, Tikait said.

More than 750 farmers, mostly from Punjab, died during the protest against the agri laws, he claimed.

SKM leader from Uttarakhand Gurpreet Sukia said farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand have come to participate in the 'Kisan Mahapanchayat'.

Shekhar Dixit, president of Rashtriya Kisan Manch, said, "The PM made the announcement about repealing of farm laws with an eye on the upcoming assembly elections in UP and other states, where the BJP is seeing power slipping away from its hands." Despite the prime minister's surprise announcement, farmer leaders have maintained the protesters won't budge until the three contentious laws are formally repealed in Parliament.

Hundreds of protesting farmers have been camping at Delhi's Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders since November 2020.

Europe’s Covid-19 Crisis Pits The Vaccinated Against The Unvaccinated

 

Police check the vaccination status of visitors during a patrol of a Christmas market in Vienna, Austria (AP)

This was supposed to be the Christmas in Europe where family and friends could once again embrace holiday festivities and one another. Instead, the continent is the global epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic as cases soar to record levels in many countries.

With infections spiking again despite nearly two years of restrictions, the health crisis increasingly is pitting citizen against citizen — the vaccinated against the unvaccinated.

Governments desperate to shield overburdened healthcare systems are imposing rules that limit choices for the unvaccinated in the hope that doing so will drive up rates of vaccinations.

Austria on Friday went a step further, making vaccinations mandatory starting February 1, 2022.

“For a long time, maybe too long, I and others thought that it must be possible to convince people in Austria, to convince them to get vaccinated voluntarily,” Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said.

He called the move “our only way to break out of this vicious cycle of viral waves and lockdown discussions for good”.

While Austria so far stands alone in the European Union in making vaccinations mandatory, more and more governments are clamping down.

Starting Monday, Slovakia is banning people who haven’t been vaccinated from all non-essential stores and shopping malls. They also will not be allowed to attend any public event or gathering and will be required to test twice a week just to go to work.

“A merry Christmas does not mean a Christmas without COVID-19,” warned Prime Minister Eduard Heger. “For that to happen, Slovakia would need to have a completely different vaccination rate.”

He called the measures a lockdown for the unvaccinated.

Slovakia, where just 45.3 per cent of the 5.5 million population is fully vaccinated, reported a record 8,342 new virus cases on Tuesday.

It is not only nations of central and eastern Europe that are suffering anew. Wealthy nations in the west also are being hit hard and imposing restrictions on their populations once again.

“It is really, absolutely, time to take action,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday. With a vaccination rate of 67.5 per cent, her nation is now considering mandatory vaccinations for many health professionals.

Greece, too, is targeting the unvaccinated. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a battery of new restrictions late on Thursday for the unvaccinated, keeping them out of venues including bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, museums and gyms, even if they have tested negative.

“It is an immediate act of protection and, of course, an indirect urge to be vaccinated,” Mitsotakis said.

The restrictions enrage Clare Daly, an Irish EU legislator who is a member of the European parliament’s civil liberties and justice committee. She argues that nations are trampling individual rights.

“In a whole number of cases, member states are excluding people from their ability to go to work,” Daly said, calling Austria’s restrictions on the unvaccinated that preceded its decision on Friday to impose a full lockdown “a frightening scenario”.

Even in Ireland, where 75.9 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated, she feels a backlash against holdouts. “There’s almost a sort of hate speech being whipped up against the unvaccinated,” she said.

The world has had a history of mandatory vaccines in many nations for diseases such as smallpox and polio. Yet despite a global COVID-19 death toll exceeding 5 million, despite overwhelming medical evidence that vaccines highly protect against death or serious illness from COVID-19 and slow the pandemic’s spread, opposition to vaccinations remains stubbornly strong among parts of the population.

Some 10,000 people, chanting ‘Freedom, Freedom!’ gathered in Prague this week to protest Czech government restrictions imposed on the unvaccinated.

“No single individual freedom is absolute,” countered Professor Paul De Grauwe of the London School of Economics. “The freedom not to be vaccinated needs to be limited to guarantee the freedom of others to enjoy good health,” he wrote for the liberal think tank Liberales.

That principle is now turning friends away from each other and splitting families across European nations.

Birgitte Schoenmakers, a general practitioner and professor at Leuven University, sees it on an almost daily basis. “It has turned into a battle between the people,” she said.

She sees political conflicts whipped up by people willfully spreading conspiracy theories, but also intensely human stories. One of her patients has been locked out of the home of her parents because she dreads being vaccinated.

Schoenmakers said that while authorities had long baulked at the idea of mandatory vaccinations, the highly infectious delta variant is changing minds. “To make a U-turn on this is incredibly difficult,” she said.

Spiking infections and measures to rein them in are combining to usher in a second straight grim holiday season in Europe.

Leuven has already cancelled its Christmas market, while in nearby Brussels, a 60-foot Christmas tree was placed in the centre of the city’s stunning Grand Place on Thursday but a decision on whether the Belgian capital’s festive market can go ahead will depend on the development of the virus surge.

Paul Vierendeels, who donated the tree, hopes for a return to a semblance of a traditional Christmas.

“We are glad to see they are making the effort to put up the tree, decorate it. It is a start,” he said. “After almost two difficult years, I think it is a good thing that some things, more normal in life, are taking place again.” (PTI)

Modi’s Climbdown Surprise Victory For Protesting Farmers

 

Protesters at the farmers' protest site at the Singhu border celebrate the announcement of the repeal of the three farm laws (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday he would repeal three agriculture laws that farmers have been protesting against for more than a year, a significant climb-down for the combative leader as important elections loom.

The legislation, introduced in September last year, was aimed at deregulating the sector, allowing farmers to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets, where growers are assured of a minimum price.

Farmers, fearing the reform would cut the prices they get for their crops, staged nationwide protests that drew in activists and celebrities from India and beyond, including climate activist Greta Thunberg and pop singer Rihanna.

“Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws,” Modi said in an address to the nation.

“I urge farmers to return to their homes, their farms and their families, and I also request them to start afresh.”

The government would repeal the laws in the new session of parliament, starting this month, he said.

The surprise concession on laws the government had said were essential to tackle chronic wastage and inefficiencies, comes ahead of elections early next year in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s most populous state, and two other northern states with large rural populations.

Nevertheless, Modi’s capitulation leaves unresolved a complex system of farm subsidies and price supports that critics say the government cannot afford.

It could also raise questions for investors about how economic reforms risk being undermined by political pressures.

Protesting farmers, who have been camped out in their thousands by main roads around the capital, New Delhi, celebrated Modi’s back-track.

“Despite a lot of difficulties, we have been here for nearly a year and today our sacrifice finally paid off,” said Ranjit Kumar, a 36-year-old farmer at Ghazipur, a major protest site in Uttar Pradesh.

Jubilant farmers handed out sweets in celebration and chanted “hail the farmer” and “long live farmers’ movement”.

Rakesh Tikait, a farmers’ group leader, said the protests were not being called off. “We will wait for parliament to repeal the laws,” he said on Twitter.

Vulnerable To Big Business

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government said last year that there was no question of repealing the laws. It attempted to break the impasse by offering to dilute the legislation but protracted negotiations failed.

The protests took a violent turn on Jan. 26, India’s Republic Day, when thousands of farmers overwhelmed police and stormed the historic Red Fort in New Delhi after tearing down barricades and driving tractors through roadblocks.

One protester was killed and scores of farmers and policemen were injured.

Small farmers say the changes make them vulnerable to competition from big business and they could eventually lose price support for staples such as wheat and rice.

The government says reform of the sector, which accounts for about 15% of the $2.7 trillion economy, means new opportunities and better prices for farmers.

Modi announced the scrapping of the laws in a speech marking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Many of the protesting farmers are Sikh.

Modi acknowledged that the government had failed to win the argument with small farmers.

The farmers are also demanding minimum support prices for all of their crops, not just for rice and wheat.

“We need to know the government’s stand on our other key demand,” Darshan Pal, another farmers’ leader, said of the new demand, which has gained traction among farmers across the country, not just in the northern grain belt.

Rahul Gandhi, of the main opposition Congress party, said the “arrogant” government had been forced to concede.

“Whether it was fear of losing UP or finally facing up to conscience, BJP govt rolls back farm laws. Just the beginning of many more victories for people’s voices,” Mahua Moitra, a lawmaker from the Trinamool Congress Party and one of Modi’s staunchest critics, said on Twitter.

But some food experts said Modi’s back-track was unfortunate because the reforms would have brought new technology and investment.

“It’s a blow to India’s agriculture,” said Sandip Das, a New Delhi-based researcher and agricultural policy analyst.

“The laws would have helped attract a lot of investment in agricultural and food processing — two sectors that need a lot of money for modernisation.” (Reuters)

Gurugram Gurdwara Opens Its Doors For Friday Namaz

 

Muslims offer namaz at an open site amid heavy police presence, following protests by residents and members of various pro-Hindu organisations, at Sector 12, Gurugram (PTI)

The Gurdwara association of Sadar Bazar in Gurugram has decided to offer its premises for Friday prayers following objections over the offering of namaz in public and open places.

"It's 'Guru Ghar', open for all communities with no discrimination. There shouldn't be any politics here. Basement is now open for Muslim brothers who want to offer 'Jumme ki namaz'," said Sherdil Singh Sidhu, President, Gurudwara Guru Singh Sabha, Sadar Bazar.

"If there's an open space, Muslims should be allowed to offer namaz. We shouldn't fight over such petty issues. People who were offering namaz in open sought administration's permission and those who had problems should have approached the administration before attacking them," he added.

Earlier, the Gurugram administration had withdrawn permission to offer namaz at eight out of 37 designated sites.

As per an official statement from the district administration, the permission was cancelled after an objection from local people and RWAs.

On several occasions earlier, residents of Gurugram have complained and staged a protest against Friday namaz at a public ground.

Meanwhile, in Sector 12 area in Gurugram, right-wing outfits have been trying to disrupt the Friday prayers for the past few weeks. On October 29, many members of the outfits were arrested.

In 2018, the district administration designated 37 sites in the city for Muslims to offer Friday prayers, following which there were protests by Hindu groups.

Earlier, the group had disrupted one of the sites in Sector 47.

Combustion Of Coal Has Led To Increase In Premature Mortality Rate In India

Data from the 2021 global Lancet Countdown report shows that there has been a nine-per cent increase in the number of deaths related to coal-derived PM2.5 in India in 2019 compared to 2015

The combustion of coal, mainly in power plants, followed by industrial and household settings, has resulted in an increase in the premature mortality rate in India and it needs to phase down from coal as its main source of energy and invest more in renewable and cleaner sources, according to the policy recommendations in The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report.

Also, air pollution has been recognised as a major determinant for negative health outcomes in India.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish regulatory frameworks pertaining to the control of air pollution at the source of its generation such as industrial emissions, construction sites, vehicle exhaust etc., according to the recommendations mentioned in "The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change -- Policy Brief for India 2021".

It is also necessary to ensure the effective implementation of these regulatory measures.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has partnered with the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change to put forward the policy brief for India in 2021. The report highlights how climate change affects health and the need for a timely and robust response for addressing the same, the apex health research body said.

Since 46 per cent of all agricultural emissions in India are contributed by ruminants such as goats, sheep and cattle, the policy brief recommended that the country needs to move away from the traditional animal husbandry practices and invest in newer technologies that will improve animal breeding and rearing practices, use of good livestock feeds and implement proper manure management, all of which will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

"The combustion of coal, mainly in power plants followed by industrial and household settings, has resulted in an increase in premature mortality. Therefore, India needs to urgently wean away from coal as its main source of energy and needs to invest more in renewable, cleaner and sustainable sources such as solar, wind or hydro energy," the recommendations stated.

Data from the 2021 global Lancet Countdown report shows that there has been a nine-per cent increase in the number of deaths related to coal-derived PM2.5 in India in 2019 compared to 2015.

The country has shown great progress in achieving the implementation of the national health emergency framework under core capacity eight of the International Health Regulation (IHR). However, it still needs to further invest in infrastructure, human resources and relevant health systems capacities such as testing and surveillance systems.

Pandemic Peace Brings New Life To Threatened Senegalese Turtles

Newborn green turtles climb up the walls of a protective cage moments after hatching in Guereo, Senegal on October 11, 2021 (Reuters)

 

On a moonlit shore in Senegal, Djibril Diakhate's evening walk came to an unexpected halt when his torch revealed more than 140 baby turtles clambering from their nest and sprinting towards the glimmering ocean.

"Turtles!" Diakhate shouted, jumping and clapping. The 47-year-old barkeeper patrols this beach up to 75 nights a year, the maximum incubation time for green turtles, to keep predators from their nests until the eggs are ready to hatch.

"I have always been affected by the birth of these turtles," he said. "The first time I witnessed a hatching, I cried at these creatures of God."

Thousands of turtles lay eggs along West Africa's shores each year, but nights like these have become rare in Guereo, the beachside village where Diakhate lives.

Increased fishing, tourism and construction have left fewer safe nesting grounds for Senegal's turtles, which are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Only two or three turtles have laid their eggs in Guereo in recent years, while dozens did a generation ago, Diakhate said.

But beaches have become quieter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifteen turtles nested on Guereo's beach last season, up from two the previous year, according to environment ministry records.

The surge was so great that Diakhate had to relocate his restaurant - named "The Turtle Nest" - after a mother turtle laid her eggs behind the bar.

Saliou Mbodji, president of the nearby Somone Marine Protection Area, attributes the change to COVID-19 restrictions that halted local fishing and tourism for much of 2020.

"There were not many people at the beaches or the hotels," Mbodji said. "There was less light, so more turtles came to lay their eggs on the beaches."

As people have returned to the beaches, the turtles have withdrawn again. Seven nests were discovered near Guereo this season — half as many as last year.

If nesting rates fall to pre-pandemic levels the ecosystem could be permanently damaged, said researchers at the Oceanium conservation group in Dakar, who provide protective cages to shield the nests from predators.

"[Turtles] regulate marine algae by eating it, and marine algae is depended upon by other species like tuna, lobster and shrimp," said Charlotte Thomas, Oceanium's turtle project manager.

"If these turtles were to disappear, that would create an imbalance in the food chain and threaten the entire ecosystem."

(Reuters)

2 Women Journalists, Detained In Assam, Arrested By Tripura Police

Swarna Jha (L) and Samriddhi Sakunia, journalists with HW News Network, were named in an FIR at Fatikroy Police Station in Tripura (Image Credit: Twitter.com/Jha_Swarna, Facebook.com/Samriddhi K. Sukania)

Two women journalists, who had written about the recent communal incidents in Tripura and were detained by Assam police, were on Monday arrested by Tripura police, their employer said.

Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha, journalists with HW News Network, were named in an FIR at Fatikroy Police Station in Tripura on Sunday on a complaint filed by a VHP supporter.

“Our reporters Ms Samriddhi Sakunia and Ms Swarna Jha have been arrested by Tripura Police today at around 12:55 AM from shelter home in Assam’s Karimganj after securing their transit remand. They are being taken back to Tripura where they will be produced before Udaipur magistrate court. Senior Advocate Pijush Biswas shall be personlly appearing for them on behalf of HW News Network. We are pressing for immediate bail and release of our journalists,” the news organisation tweeted.

A senior police official had said in Agartala on Sunday the journalists posted on social media that a mosque was burnt in Gomati district and a copy of the Quran was damaged.

Tripura police suspect that the videos uploaded by them are doctored. In a tweet on November 11, Sakunia had written, “#Tripuraviolence Darga Bazaar: On 19th October at around 2:30 am, some unidentified people burnt down the mosque in Darga Bazaar area. People in the neighborhood are very upset with the fact that now they don’t have any place nearby to go and pray.”

A press release issued by the office of Tripura police chief VS Yadav claimed that the posts by Sakunia were not true and promoted a sense of hatred between communities.

The Editors’ Guild of India had denounced the police action against the journalists and demanded their immediate release.

 

An Overview Of Feats, Foibles And Failures At COP26

 

Protesters set off a siren opposite the COP26 venue in Glasgow, Scotland on November 11, 2021 (Reuters)

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) drew to a close yesterday, Friday, November 12. When it began, almost two weeks ago, on Sunday, October 31, people around the world had hoped that the summit will result in meaningful changes to the status quo. But the high hopes invested in the summit and its delegates now stand dashed.

Let’s go through what has been agreed at COP26, Glasgow, Scotland. A series of agreements between groups of countries have been announced so far, including:

• The US and China agreed to work together this decade to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C, in a surprise announcement
• A new alliance that commits countries to setting a date to ending oil and gas use – and halting granting new licences for exploration – was launched
• More than 40 countries committed to move away from coal – but the world’s biggest users like China and the US did not sign up
• More than 100 world leaders promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, including Brazil, home to the Amazon rainforest
• The US and the EU announced a global partnership to cut emissions of the greenhouse gas methane by 2030 – reducing methane in the atmosphere is seen as one of the best ways to quickly reduce global warming

As is evident, the unwillingness of both the US and China to move away from coal shows the half-baked nature of their efforts towards arresting global warming. Yet another alliance was launched, this time needing commitment from countries to set a date for ending oil and gas use. In a surprising turn of events, China and US agreed to work together to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C.

While these might appear to be positive steps forward, their actual effectiveness will depend on the sincerity and commitment of participating nations towards averting global warming and preventing adverse climate change.

The indisputable sticking points are the fact that climate finance remains a distant dream, that animal agriculture was not even on the COP26 agenda, that meat was served at a summit purporting to espouse the cause of limiting global warming and the fact that despite the promises made at COP26 so far, the planet is still heading for 2.4C of warming above pre-industrial levels.

Climate finance, or the money promised by richer countries to poorer countries to fight climate change, continues to be one of the most contentious points. In 2009, developed nations pledged to provide $100bn per year to emerging economies by 2020. But this target was not met.

Another major concern is greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture. Raising livestock generates 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions that are very bad for the environment. But this crucial topic was not even on the agenda of the COP26. It speaks volumes about the sincerity and commitment of the summit towards making a real change to the current climatic scenario.

An aside but one which reveals a lot about the optics of the summit is the fact that meat was served during meals at the summit headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. While this may appear to be a non-issue, it shows with just how much seriousness delegates and participating nations treat each factor — in this case, meat consumption, that contributes greatly to global warming and has a huge carbon footprint — that contributes to adverse climate change.

Unsurprisingly, despite the promises made at COP26 so far, the planet is still heading for 2.4C of warming above pre-industrial levels, according to a report by Climate Action Tracker.

As regards India’s approach to the summit, PM Narendra Modi spelt out a five-fold plan on November 2. It is as follows:

• India’s non-fossil energy capacity would reach 500 GW by 2030
• It will meet 50% of its electricity requirements with renewable energy by 2030
• It will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by a billion tonnes by 2030
• It will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to less than 45%
• Achieve net zero emissions target by 2070

Net zero is when a country’s carbon emissions are offset by taking out equivalent carbon from the atmosphere, so that emissions in balance are zero. However, achieving net zero by a specific date means specifying a year, also called a peaking year, following which emissions will begin to fall.

Meanwhile, NDCs or Nationally Determined Contributions are voluntary targets that countries set for themselves, which describe the quantum and kind of emission cuts they will undertake over a fixed period to contribute to preventing runaway global warming. India’s last NDC was submitted following the Paris Agreement of 2015. Before COP26 began on October 31, countries were expected to provide updated NDCs. India, however, did not furnish one.

This points to the fact that for most participating nations, economic growth and development takes precedence over preventing adverse climate change and taking steps to limit global warming. First, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, then the 2015 Paris Agreement and finally, the COP26 — nations of the world come together at regular intervals to thresh out agreements and frameworks that ostensibly make the right noises and deliver politically-correct speeches.

However, how much of a difference and real-time change this brings about can be deduced from the achievements and non-achievements that have underscored the COP26 climate summit.

Anand Eager To Commentate At World Chess C'ship Minus 'Tension Of Playing'

 

Vishwanathan Anand (PTI)

Indian chess ace Viswanathan Anand is looking forward to being at a World Championship minus the stress of competition as he prepares to don the commentator's hat for the upcoming clash between defending champion Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.

The marquee showdown is scheduled from November 24 to December 16 in Dubai.

"I think it will be fun. I have already experienced it online. I am looking forward to trying it. It will be very nice," said the five-time former world champion, who will be one of the official commentators.

As to how the role of commentator came about, the Chennai-based chess ace said, "Not much of a story there... basically the FIDE asked me about being a commentator for the world championship match and I thought why not try it."

"It will be special. Looking forward to going to a world championship match without the tension of playing. I am a chess fan too and hope it will be a good match," Anand, who has already donned the role of a commentator for a few online events, added.

"Obviously some memories will come back. I will just go there and see how it is."

On the match itself, he said Carlsen has been in pretty good form and would be the favourite.

"Carlsen is in pretty good form. He has been reactive. He has been preparing well. He will be the favourite. Nepomniachtchi is strong enough to be a good opponent. I am hoping that it will be an exciting match," he said.

On the move to make the championship match a 14-game affair from the previous 12-game finale, Anand said it gives the players a better chance of a comeback from setbacks.

"They will now play three games before a rest day and not two games like before. That can be exhausting. Longer games give both players more chances for a comeback from setbacks," he felt.

Anand, who will be seen in the role of a mentor for the Indian youngsters at the third Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament starting in Kolkata from November 17, said the event provides a great chance for them (young Indian players) to compete against top players.

Vidit Gujrathi, B Adhiban, Dronavalli Harika and the young brigade including Nihal Sarin, R Praggnanandhaa, Karthikeyan Murali, D Gukesh, Raunak Sadhwani, Arjun Erigaisi and R Vaishali will be participating in the tournament in Kolkata.

He lauded the performance of the young Indian players in the last year or so and said they had done well and improved their ratings.

"Gukesh has had a wonderful rating spike, Raunak (Sadhwani) too has improved his rating. Pragg (Praggnanandhaa) has had some very good results in online tournaments. Their progress has been very steady," Anand said about the young Indian brigade, a few of whom he trains as part of the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy.

AAP Asks Mumbai Police To Register Case Against Kangana For 'Seditious' Remarks

 

Ranaut, who was recently given the Padma Shri, was apparently referring to the BJP coming to power in 2014

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) submitted an application to the Mumbai Police today, demanding that a case be registered against film actor Kangana Ranaut for her reported remarks that India attained freedom in 2014 and what it got in 1947 was "alms".

The AAP's national executive member Preeti Sharma Menon termed the remarks as "seditious and inflammatory".

“The AAP strongly condemns the derogatory statement made by Ranaut, claiming that India's independence of 1947 was 'bheek' and not real independence," Menon said in a tweet.

In another tweet, Menon said they have submitted an application to the Mumbai Police, requesting action against Ranaut for her "seditious and inflammatory statements", under Indian Penal Code Sections 504, 505 and 124A.

Earlier in the day, BJP Lok Sabha member Varun Gandhi also slammed Ranaut for her remarks, and said it is an anti-national act and must be called out as such.

He also posted a short clip of the actor's remarks during a new channel programme in which she is heard saying in Hindi, "That was not freedom but 'bheekh' (alms), and the freedom came in 2014."

Ranaut, who was recently given the Padma Shri, was apparently referring to the BJP coming to power in 2014.

She has sparked controversy in the past with her right wing comments and jibes at opposition politicians.

Prince Harry Says He Warned Twitter CEO Of US Capitol Riot

 

Harry made the comments while taking part in an online panel on misinformation in California

Britain's Prince Harry said he warned the chief executive of Twitter ahead of the January 6 Capitol riot that the social media site was being used to stage political unrest in the US capital.

Harry made the comments on Tuesday while he was taking part in an online panel on misinformation in California. He said he made his concerns known via email to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey the day before the riot. 

“Jack and I were emailing each other prior to January 6 where I warned him that his platform was allowing a coup to be staged,” Harry said at the RE:WIRED tech forum. “That email was sent the day before and then it happened and I haven't heard from him since.” 

Social media sites have come under fire for not doing enough to halt the spread of misinformation and inciteful content, with the storming of the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump just one example. Big tech in general has been accused of putting growth and profits ahead of public safety.

Harry also accused other social media sites like Facebook of misleading “billions of people” with COVID and climate change misinformation. He also targeted YouTube, saying many videos spreading COVID misinformation were left up despite violating the site's own policies.

“And worse, they came to the users via the recommendation tool within YouTube's own algorithm versus anything that the user was actually searching for,'' he said. 

“It shows really that it can be stopped but also they didn't want to stop it because it affects their bottom line.'' 

Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, announced in early 2020 that they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. 

Meghan, a former star of the American TV legal drama Suits, married Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, at Windsor Castle in May 2018.

We Need Everybody Even If We Disagree On Other Things: Obama At COP26

 

Former U.S. President Barack Obama gives a speech during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain on November 8, 2021 (Reuters)

Former US President Barack Obama says he believes that President Biden's climate package will be historic and he welcomed the efforts of all US politicians, Democrats and Republicans, in working toward slowing down global warming. 

Obama spoke on Monday on the sidelines of the UN climate conference in Glasgow.

"I believe President Biden's Build Back Better bill will be historic. But I know Joe Biden wanted to do even more," Obama said. "Both of us have been constrained by the fact that one of our two major parties have decided to not only sit on the sidelines, but express hostility towards climate science and make climate change a partisan issue. That's got to stop. Saving the planet isn't a partisan issue. I welcome any faction within the Republican Party that takes climate change seriously," Obama added.

He said climate change will affect all Americans and everyone on the planet, no matter how they voted.

"It doesn't matter if you're a Republican or a Democrat if your Florida house is flooded, or your crops in the Dakotas are failing, or your California house is burning. Nature, physics, climate science -- they don't care about party affiliation," Obama said. "We need everybody even if we disagree on other things."

Man Wanted For Attack On US Capitol Seeks Asylum In Belarus: Report

FILE PHOTO: Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump cover their faces to protect from tear gas during a clash with police officers in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S. on January 6, 2021

Belarus state television says an American charged in the US Capitol riot investigation illegally crossed into the tightly controlled ex-Soviet country and is seeking asylum.

Belarus 1, the country's main television channel, said late on Sunday that Evan Neumann, who is accused of taking part in an attack on the US Capitol in January, crossed from Ukraine into Belarus in mid-August.

"A US citizen is seeking asylum in Belarus. It sounds incredible but it is a fact," the channel reported.

The channel broadcast an interview with the bearded Neumann, who is facing six felony counts including assaulting police officers. In the interview, the former California resident insisted he was innocent and denied attacking the police.

A violent mob of Donald Trump supporters ransacked the US Capitol in Washington on January 6 in an attack that left five people dead.

The rioters had been egged on by Trump, whose fiery speech earlier that day falsely claiming election fraud was the culmination of months of baseless assertions about the presidential contest that he lost fairly to President Joe Biden.

The state-controlled Belarusian TV channel said Neumann was a "simple American" who "looked for justice (and) asked uncomfortable questions but lost practically everything and is being persecuted by the US government."

Neumann, who is on the FBI's wanted list, flew to Italy in March and eventually made it to the western Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr where he lived for four months, Belarus 1 said.

He told the channel he believed he was being followed by Ukraine's SBU security service and decided to leave for neighbouring Belarus, run by strongman Alexander Lukashenko for nearly three decades.

"This is awful," he told the channel in remarks translated into Russian, referring to the alleged Ukrainian surveillance. "This is political persecution."

According to details from the American's LinkedIn profile cited by the US Justice Department, he was in Ukraine during the popular uprising dubbed the Orange Revolution in 2004 and 2005.

Pictures and videos published by the US authorities show Neumann wearing an orange and yellow scarf commemorating the Ukrainian uprising.

In power since 1994, Lukashenko has cracked down on civil society groups and organisations with Western links since unprecedented protests erupted against his disputed re-election last year. (AFP)

Dark Skinned Latinos Face More Discrimination, Even In Their Own Community: Study

 

The Pew study found that 57% of Latinos say their skin tone affects their everyday life, and the majority of dark-skinned Hispanics have experienced discrimination because of it

Skin tone impacts the everyday lives and the long-term success of Latinos in the United States, according to a Pew Research Center finding that comes as the issue of colorism has become more mainstream.

The non-partisan research center surveyed 3,375 Latinos who live in the US, finding that 62% say having darker skin hurts their chances of getting ahead while 59% say having light skin helps them. The study was released on Thursday.

It comes just months after colorism discrimination based on skin tone, often from within someone's own ethnic group, captured wide attention with the release of the movie 'In the Heights', which was criticized for its lack of dark-skinned Afro Latinos in leading roles.

Over the last couple of years, racism has been at the forefront of the nation's attention, but colorism isn't deliberated as often.

Some social scientists believe this is in part because colorism highlights divisions within racial and ethnic groups. Others add that colorism is a centuries-old worldwide issue that's notable in Latin American countries colonized by Spain and where white skin has long been considered superior to dark skin and Indigenous features. Many Latinos in the U.S. may have those internal biases.

The Pew study found that 57% of Latinos say their skin tone affects their everyday life, and the majority of dark-skinned Hispanics have experienced discrimination because of it.

Nadia Y. Flores-Yeffal, associate professor of sociology at Texas Tech University, said the findings are backed up by years of research that shows darker-skinned people earn less money and face more bigotry.

The problem isn't just in the U.S. In Mexico, people with Indigenous features are looked down on, while white-skinned Mexicans are among the most powerful politicians, businesspeople and celebrities.

The way people with dark skin are portrayed in movies and in TV, if at all, also impacts how we perceive them, Flores-Yeffal said. 'In the Heights' was hardly the exception as in most American media, darker Latinos are over-represented in background roles or as gangsters, while lighter ones are more likely to have prominent roles, even as Latinos in general are underrepresented.

Flores-Yeffal says colorism has been going on for centuries. And it doesn't look like it's going anywhere, she said.

Laura E. Gmez, a law professor and author of 'Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism', lauded the Pew study, saying it was based on rigorous data.

For Gmez, even talking about colorism is a good step toward solving the issue. While some Latinos may not feel comfortable talking about internal divisions, they are synonymous with racism in general, she said.

You can't choose one or the other. In order to combat anti-Latino racism, we must talk about racism within the Latino community, Gmez said.