Post No. 1,570 - In this week’s news

Stay safe - wash your hands, practice social distancing, and follow informed medical advice - and be considerate towards those at risk or in situations of vulnerability (including economic) while the COVID-19 pandemic is a problem.

This is a new, very cut down series of posts based on some observations on matters that struck a personal note: unlike the former “Gnwmythr’s News”, it is not trying to convey key events.

Content Warning: the linked articles and their descriptions here may be about violence, abuse, hate, and other problems.

Reading I found interesting this week included:   an excellent new book on emotions (strongly recommended for older mangers - the link is to a brief review/article on emotions I did);   emotions are transmissible.

In this week’s news:   an interesting article on a new, optimistic look at humans (my review here, but also consider this);   “the act of crying is not cathartic. Talking to someone can be”;   recessions scar people for their entire lives.

In the environmental arena, where we have been fighting World War III for some time now:   senior former public servants are angry over our history of climate change failures;   China’s air pollution is increasing again as the lockdown eases;   a reminder warnings on this go back to at least the 80s - and, in fact, back into the 1800s (the first book I read on the topic was in the 1970s);   Australia’s neoliberals have agreed to 21 of 26 recommendations from a former Business Council of Australia president for cheap ways to reduce emissions - but a carbon price is still considered best by many (including me);   my home state will experience more frequent megafires - with inadequate time for recovery of the bush;   Antarctic krill and the massive amount of sea life which are ultimately dependent on them are at risk;   Queensland’s new Human Rights Act is being used as the basis for a legal challenge by young people against a coal mine;   recycling in Portugal has collapsed;   Australia’s neoliberal government plans subsidies to gas companies and an end to fracking bans along with some renewables spending;   backyard beekeeping (why not native, stingless bees to reduce the risk of anaphylactic shock?);   maybe better solar panels;   Australia’s continuing water emergency;   a man who released a whale trapped in a net may be fined . . . .

On human and animal rights:
   “beware those who persecute in the name of principle”;
   Australians want to help with reconciliation, but don’t know how;   Tongans view of a recent “real life Lord of the Flies” situation that was better than the book (which I posted a few weeks ago) was that their culture was key, and reporting to date shows a colonial bias;   responding to racist attacks as a bystander;
   Australia is still torturing refugees - and fighting court decisions;   Malta has (effectively) killed 12 refugees;
   mounting calls for an explanation on why a woman with a disability died alone;   young people with disabilities are being bullied;   why sex is a valid consideration as a need for people with disabilities;
   confirmation that a notorious misogynistic radio presenter is misogynistic (and broke official radio standards);   an appalling six years to resolve a sexual harassment claim;
   Hungary has gone back to the Middle Ages;   I’ve received a reasonable update on some local police matters;   finally more investigations of gay hate crimes in another Australian state;   a statement on IDAHOBIT from the Intersex community;
   a Jewish violent extremist has been convicted in Israel;
   anti-Semitism in Iran, including an existential threat, the USA (from that idiot, POTUS45), and Germany;
   a financier of the Rwandan genocide has been arrested;   victims of war crimes in Sri Lanka are still waiting for justice after 11 years;   a call for Saudi Arabia to face consequences for the brutal murder of Jamal Kashoggi;
   there is not even the pretence of judicial review in Egypt;
   animal trafficking from South Africa to China;   how to keep indoor cats happy (and ours has just unwrapped himself from around one arm to get a feed);
   regulations are still a sticking point for tiny homes.
Immigration and refugee matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Greece;   Greece;
trafficking/slavery/child abuse matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   USA (online marriages as a cover for child abuse);
LGBTIQ+ matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   a radio show in my home state;   South Korea;   Mexico;   Panama (overdue good news);   Albania (good news);
sexism and misogyny/misandry matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Pakistan;   Nepal;   Zimbabwe;
other civil & political rights matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   Indonesia;   Tibet;   eastern Tibet;   Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, Tibet;   Kurdistan; and
other matters (good and bad) have occurred in:   DR Congo.

In the related human rights arena of employment:   when another Australian airline failed decades ago, its workers support of each other gave them resilience;   employers want laws to remove more workers’ rights;   a simplistic and inaccurate “workers’ rights game”.

Risks or occurrences of atrocities, mass violence and/or war(s) this week in:   a power sharing deal may move Afghanistan closer to peace;   Israel;   West Bank;   what to do about violence in Nigeria;   refugees in Syria are being bombed;   DR Congo;   Somalia;   Mali;   Afghanistan;   South Sudan;   the “geostrategic” aspects of the war in Libya;   Burundi;   the USA is handing Russia a major propaganda coup by withdrawing from a nuclear weapons treaty;   an “incel” terrorist attack in Canada;   the Philippines.

In the governance, politics, public ethics, and society arena:   PNG’s Commerce Minister is taking legal action for defamation over allegations he was corrupt;   Centrelink has been ordered “to issue hundreds of thousands of class action notices for trial” over robodebt;   conservative Australian media’s “long war on democracy”;   for the future: “hospital in the home”;   calls for a review of the neoliberals (many undelivered) pre-election promises;   support for the unemployed after the pandemic needs to be increased;   more concerns in Israel.

On disasters this week:   a cyclone in India;   locusts in Iran;   a cyclone in Bangladesh;   dam overflows in the USA;   a plane crash in Pakistan;   firefighters have not been supported after last summer’s bushfires.

Internationally:   as the one nation two systems lie is ended in Hong Kong, China’s increasingly aggressive diplomacy;   a reminder that we have used the international actions against China that they are now using;   US Democrat’s concerns over Israel’s moves to annex the West Bank - which is leading to an end of cooperation, no more sharing of intelligence, and possibly the ending of diplomatic relations ;   surprisingly (to me, if no-one else), POTUS45’s Attorney-General has dismissed the chance of an investigation into former President Obama;   Iran has banned working with Israel or using Israeli software . . . ;   Afghanistan may have found a way to move towards peace.

In Africa:   a backgrounder on Burundi’s forthcoming elections - Benin will also hold elections, despite the pandemic;   a new weather forecasting system in Africa;   Lesotho’s PM will not resign, despite charges alleging connection to his wife’s murder;   one regional conflict in Sudan appears to have been ended;   concerns about oil exploration in Somalia.

On the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus (there are other novel coronaviruses) (seven major risks to watch here, and seven sins of thought to avoid here):
   learning from this pandemic, after having ignored past warnings;   economists are overwhelmingly backing physical distancing, which will save over $1 trillion in costs; - and the super industry is warning that early access risks harming nation building;   the human  cost of lockdown;   reference to war in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic shows a stupid misunderstanding of what war is like;

   good stories:   volunteers are helping refugees overcome language problems (if we had a caring national government, the volunteers would be paid);   the opportunity to define a “new normal”;

   medical aspects:   the problem of fake “news”;   learning from past pandemic vaccine (financial) handling errors;   promising results from at least one trial;   extending JobKeeper would be the best way to protect mental health;   one person has just had a third positive test, marking two months of being ill;   lockdown impacts in India,

   human rights aspects (crisis . . . running summary of impacts on elections here):   global risks to girls safety and education - which may be ongoing after the pandemic;   Queensland is not testing in remote Indigenous communities;   unpaid overtime and other work problems are contributing to health problems;   trials of possible vaccines on defence force members lack consent;   the risks with the contact racing app go beyond privacy;   jail sentences are becoming death sentences;   the concerns facing young people;   the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh;   UAE;   development finance;   rough sleepers may be back on the street soon . . . ;   support to the dying in aged care homes shows a powerful neochristian bias: will they support other religions?;   a lot of the fines issued over lockdown breaches have been withdrawn;   the human development setbacks and recovery crisis;   an unfair dismissal claim in Australia over a question over pressure to work extra hours;   one in five Australians doesn’t earn enough to live;   a call to respect rights;
   also including
   housing problems in:   will happen “down the track”;   evictions from a slum in Colombia;
   more opportunistic surveillance in:   South Korea,   Australia;
   suppression of journalism in:   Egypt;

   Australia:   free child care could be ended soon by the neoliberals, despite its success;   10% of those who have lost jobs fear they will never work again - and 20% of self-employed Australians fear they will lose their businesses;   commuting concerns in states which have eased restrictions;   more rubbish from a self promoting idiot;   tourism businesses are opposing easing lockdown;   inter-state “border wars”;

   internationally:   Yemen is facing catastrophic food shortages;   India missed asymptomatic people, and had a patchy humanitarian response, which is why it is now doing so poorly in managing the pandemic;   a rescue fund for Europe;   agency staff spread the virus between care homes in the UK;   drones are being used to encourage maintenance of physical distancing on reopened Greek beaches;   concerns about a second wave in China (and Europe), which will - almost - ban the wildlife trade . . . ;   Brazil’s outbreak is now the 4^th largest in the world;   Peru is building hospitals for Indigenous people in the Amazon;   an informal and favourable assessment of Mongolia’s response;   masks remain compulsory in public in Spain;   burma;   “informal” areas in India are struggling;   Japan has been “surprisingly” good;   UK (why didn’t they do this long ago?);   Sweden will continue its unsuccessful attempt at herd immunity;   unrest in Germany;   the death toll in Russia could be vastly under-reported;   support for nations in the Pacific;   staggering stupidity in Pakistan;

   Africa:   growing hunger in Zimbabwe;   concerns about the reopening of mosques in west Africa;   a South African court has issued “orders aimed at putting an end to police and army brutality”;   Rwanda’s planned recovery includes food reserves;   South Africa may be facing up to 50,000 deaths;

   globally:   the impact of reduced remittances;

   blame games:   against a background of concerns over petty political point-scoring, after defending its response (and, despite backing of the call for an investigation from 116 other nations, imposing an 80% tariff on Australian barley), China has agreed to a WHO-led investigation - and a defence of WHO here;   USA.