tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120801172024-03-13T20:34:50.239+00:00NewswatchProviding commentary, news and critical analysis of daily events and current affairs since 2005Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.comBlogger2340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-87605778699582455992024-03-13T20:33:00.000+00:002024-03-13T20:34:16.666+00:00Royal family in turmoil amidst rumours & conspiracy theories<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWpxCKfVh3DkhrAUr89QGs2m4PT83vAfIMm8GdPh2l0ugzBu5O1sp-MvbublOmXMy0jMUnSEhx0h7E2T5dP7THpJj_MNXBHSvZvKTyD2YyKw-ztPvxYPaTuRzWiNg4FZM5P2f8nC60vwqklYpwo12mL_tDKJ5ylMEhDGATOPkXX1DdKF8q5FG44Q"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWpxCKfVh3DkhrAUr89QGs2m4PT83vAfIMm8GdPh2l0ugzBu5O1sp-MvbublOmXMy0jMUnSEhx0h7E2T5dP7THpJj_MNXBHSvZvKTyD2YyKw-ztPvxYPaTuRzWiNg4FZM5P2f8nC60vwqklYpwo12mL_tDKJ5ylMEhDGATOPkXX1DdKF8q5FG44Q=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7345949100089327666" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><div>If reports seen across the pond are to be believed, the house of Windsor could be at an end. There are growing concerns not only for King Charles III, but also his wife Queen Camilla and his daughter in law Catherine, the Princess of Wales. Information concerning the Royals is difficult to substantiate, nut the secrecy surrounding the family and recent bizarre press releases from the palace have only helped fuel rumours and conspiracy theories.</div><div><br></div><div><b>The ailing King</b></div><div><br></div>In recent weeks, US tabloids, amongst a number of other international media outlets, have reported that the King's health is far more serious than has been reported to the British public. British newspapers have thus far only reported the official line that the monarch is suffering from prostate problems and a 'form of cancer'.<br><br>However, the National Enquirer is amongst a number of publications that have reported that the King has pancreatic cancer and less than six months to live. <br><br>Whilst first reported in the Enquirer, the story has been picked up by a number of other publications, though the news has been largely hidden from the British public.<br><br>Internet searches in the UK fail to bring forth links to such sites but if using a VPN - which circumvents country restrictions - the same searches result in dozens of links leading to the concerning reports about the British monarch [<a href="https://boingboing.net/2024/02/16/king-charles-dead-in-6-months-and-biden-trump-get-down-and-dirty-in-this-weeks-dubious-tabloids.html">BoingBoing</a> / <a href="https://www.magzter.com/stories/celebrity/National-Enquirer/KING-CHARLES-GRIM-DEATH-SENTENCE">Magzter</a> / <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1160351-king-charles-cancer-type-revealed-by-palace-spy">The News pk</a> / <a href="https://www.btimesonline.com/articles/164071/20240217/king-charles-allegedly-given-six-months-to-live-amid-pancreatic-cancer-battle-dire-health-forecast-shakes-royal-family-core.htm">BTimes</a>].<br><br>The National Enquirer's report could be easily dismissed given its history as being a sensationalist supermarket tabloid magazine. But it has often been right about its claims though it has also had to settle various lawsuits [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Enquirer">Wikipedia</a>].<br><br>Even if one dismisses the headlines concerning the type of cancer and the seriousness of the King's condition there are little reported nuggets of truth within the National Enquirer's reporting. The publication states that Dr Michael Dixon, known for his strong beliefs in homoeopathy and faith healing, is overseeing Charles' treatment [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/dec/10/king-charles-criticised-appointing-homeopath-michael-dixon-head-royal-medical-household">Guardian</a>].<br><br>The National Enquirer's sensationalist report came just 20 days after it was announced King Charles had been diagnosed with "a form of cancer" which had prompted many news stations to flip to saturation coverage of the news for several hours despite few facts being known.<br><br>That announcement on the 5th of February came at the same time that Kate Middleton had also been admitted to hospital for unspecified 'abdominal surgery'.<br><br><b>Secrecy fuels conspiracies</b><br><br>The secrecy, vagueness and the warning off of press photographers by Kensington Palace as they camped outside the hospital where she was being treated, has only fuelled speculation, rumours and conspiracy theories.<br><br>As a high profile royal, Kate Middleton's admission to hospital was bound to draw much media attention. As such dozens of press photographers gathered daily outside the clinic where she was being treated. But, in what was seen by many members of the press as unwarranted control, representatives from Kensington Palace demanded to see press passes and later issued a warning to the major agencies that they would be dropped from future royal rotas should they not leave. This despite the media gathering being situated in a public space. <br><br>"Sadly, despite us sharing the wishes of the Prince and Princess that they'd like privacy at this time, yesterday we saw a significant number of photographers stationed outside the hospital. I have spoken directly to the respective photography agencies and picture editors of those present and reminded them if they continue to be there they will not be accredited by Kensington Palace for the foreseeable future. I'll allow those of you who did have photographers down there yesterday, to pick that up with your picture editors. However, in the knowledge my plea will fall of deaf ears and in the spirit of openness I always employ – and again, not for reporting but for guidance only, the Wales children will not be visiting The London Clinic this weekend, so I strongly discourage anyone from stationing themselves there." the full statement said.<br><br>As a result many agency photographers were withdrawn leaving only freelancers and the so-called paparazzi.<div><br></div><div><b>Where's Kate?</b><br><br>That was in the third week of January and until March there had been no sighting of the future Queen. Then a photograph emerged purporting to be Kate Middleton sitting in the passenger seat of an Audi being driven from Windsor alongside her mother. The picture, distributed by the photo agency Backgrid was extremely grainy which appeared to have been added in post-production given the emergence of a clear picture just hours later. <br><br>The picture only fuelled further speculation. The woman seemed to be of fuller face than Kate and the clear frame appeared not to show Kate's distinctive mole above her right lip. The fact that she was wearing larger dark shades created speculation amongst some that the person was in fact her sister Pippa.<br><br>The picture however was hidden from the eyes of the British public with only a few news outlets even reporting on the claim that the Princess of Wales was seen in public for the first time since her operation. Indeed the picture was only used in foreign publications, most notably the American tabloids [<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/03/04/kate-middleton-seen-spotted-public-first-time-mystery-hospitalization/">TMZ</a> / <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a60080013/kate-middleton-seen-first-time-since-surgery-photos/">HarpersBizaar</a> / <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/world/uk/kate-middleton-spotted-for-first-time-since-abdominal-surgery-on-a-school-run-photos-article-108215639">TimesNowNews</a> / <a href="https://istyle.ltn.com.tw/article/29898">LTN</a>].</div><div><br></div><div><b>Mother's Day fiasco</b><br><br>Moving on just a week and the waters were further muddied after Kensington Palace released a picture of Kate and the three children on Mother's Day. Several major agencies that were distributing the photograph soon withdrew the picture and issued a kill notice saying that the picture had been digitally manipulated [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68526972">BBC</a>].<br><br>There was no immediate statement forthcoming from Kensington Palace, resulting in conspiracies and rumours becoming even more out of control. What, if anything were they, 'the firm', trying to hide? Then around twelve hours after the picture was killed by PA, AFP, Reuters and Getty, a statement was released via <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1767135566645092616">Twitter</a>. "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C" However, occasionally experimenting with editing does not explain the strange anomalies that appear in the photograph particularly with the hands of the children such as contorted hands and a missing thumb as well as inexplicable blurring or smearing of certain parts of the photograph.<br><br>The photograph released on Mother's Day in the UK was clearly manipulated with sometimes inexplicable photoshop techniques. There have been more questions than answers concerning the release of the photograph fueling a plethora of conspiracy theories. While some are clearly outlandish and easily dismissed others are less easily explained. One theory swirling on social media platforms suggested that the picture was a composite including the pasting of Kate's head from a 2016 cover of Vogue which bears a striking similarity to that in the controversial Mother's Day picture [<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13186213/Palace-Kate-Middleton-photo-conspiracy-theories-William-Mothers-day.html">Daily Mail</a>].<br><br>Following the publication of the photograph, press photographers captured what was reported to be Kate leaving the Windsor estate, sitting in the back of a vehicle with Prince William as he headed for a Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey. Yet given her face is turned away from the camera there are many who are still unconvinced it was even her. There was also no clue as to where she was supposedly headed with no statement forthcoming from Kensington Palace.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Grim US reports</b><br><br>US tabloids have already painted a dark picture, suggesting everything from a possible cancer diagnosis to eating disorders and even suggesting domestic violence within the family.<br><br>Of course, these reports are based solely on unofficial leaks and rumours. But Kensington Palace is doing nothing to allay these reports. Moreover, their secretive and clumsy media management has only fuelled the fire.<br><br>Further confusion has been sown after Kate Middleton's name was removed from an event on 8th June 8, soon after the British army announced she would attend.<br><br>Discounting the controversial Mother's Day picture and the two paparazzi pictures, Kate Middleton hasn't been seen in public since Christmas 2023, and Kensington Palace had not released any photos or videos of her until Sunday 10th March. <br><br><b>Firestorm</b></div><div><b><br></b>Her absence has caused a social-media firestorm as royal watchers questioned her whereabouts and condition online. However, the palace said she was doing well as recently as 29th February.<br><br>Outside of social media, the mainstream media, especially in the US, are having a field day with the issue surrounding Kate Middleton's whereabouts. <br><br>The Daily Show makes light of the recent photoshopped picture and Kate's taking responsibility for the mistakes [<a href="https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/1767883935415968029">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6fyfZ0r_u0&ab_channel=TheDailyShow">YouTube</a>]. Meanwhile Stephen Colbert also made fun of the situation and joked about a rumoured affair between Prince William and Sarah Rose Cholmondeley, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley [<a href="https://twitter.com/IndeedItsMark/status/1767844494697697458">Twitter</a>] something that has been little reported in the UK [<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/prince-william-rose-hanbury-affair-rumors-explode-with-kate-middletons-press-disaster/ar-BB1jJZVU">MSN</a>].<br><br>If the stories in the US tabloids are to be believed, the Royal family is all but finished. According to the National Enquirer and The Globe, Camilla faces a possible double mastectomy due to cancer, Kate has a whole number of health issues and may even divorce the future King. And William's coronation may well be sooner than expected with plans reportedly being made for a state funeral for the current monarch, King Charles III.<br><br>Sources 'familiar with the situation' say that major picture agencies are already making plans for a state funeral later this year, <i>tvnewswatch</i> was learned.<br><br><b>More bad news ahead</b></div><div><br>Meanwhile, there may be further bad news in the coming months for the Royal family. There are several royals that are well into their 80s and 90s. As such it is only a matter of time before the likes of the Duke of Gloucester, 79, Princess Alexandra, 87, the first cousin of the late Queen, her brothers Prince Michael of Kent, 81, and the Duke of Kent, 88, as well as the Duchess of Kent, 91, pass on. <br><br>The furore concerning Prince Andrew has yet to be laid to rest [<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/court-documents-reveal-virginia-giuffre-claims-she-was-paid-15-000-by-jeffrey-epstein-to-have-sex-with-prince-andrew-13045057">Sky News</a>] although he has been more visible in recent months with suggestions he has been repositioning himself within the royal family [<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13183091/prince-andrew-range-rover-windsor-castle-commonwealth-day-service.html">Daily Mail</a>]. <br><br>Tragedy has already struck in recent weeks with Pippa Middleton's ex-boyfriend, Thomas Kingston being found dead at his parent's home in Cotswolds Village in England, on 25th February. Kingston, 45, was apparently found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, though Internet conspiracy theories abound suggesting foul play. <br><br>A private funeral was held, away from the glare of cameras, with only a select few in attendance, amongst them the Prince of Wales, the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra alongside Lady Gabriella and Mr Kingston's family [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68549345">BBC</a> / <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/thomas-kingston-funeral-held-for-prince-and-princess-michael-of-kents-son-in-law-13093325">Sky News</a>].<br><br>Whatever the truth is concerning the King's health, that of Queen Camilla, Kate's health and whereabouts as well as the state of the relationship between her and the future King, Prince William, the public are certainly questioning the honesty and future of the Royal Family.</div><div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-70905381205696859702024-02-04T10:58:00.000+00:002024-02-04T10:59:04.475+00:00Hard cheese for the UK dairy industry<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYS7it9Hx7r2HVvcctEcy6nHIKVl-biuHLEuIlkC99IBuhSbbUnXXHYrRS5XPX-4CfVjacCEeLdwo908PZ2BOTnrwjlwj-tmM9ogPOKssZFeNV1cMGf5-C0hic5YeotPZOi-USEAbGLSB6OGWiCesFuReTLLexM9Y7KplJw7jhk2MkU7hoDXDlBQ"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYS7it9Hx7r2HVvcctEcy6nHIKVl-biuHLEuIlkC99IBuhSbbUnXXHYrRS5XPX-4CfVjacCEeLdwo908PZ2BOTnrwjlwj-tmM9ogPOKssZFeNV1cMGf5-C0hic5YeotPZOi-USEAbGLSB6OGWiCesFuReTLLexM9Y7KplJw7jhk2MkU7hoDXDlBQ=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7331699632899052098" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">In the lead up to the EU referendum, those who promoted Brexit promised that Britain would see to opening up new markets and new opportunities beyond the EU.<br><br>However, nearly nine years after that fateful vote and two years after Britain officially left the block after delays in negotiating a deal with the EU, Britain has failed to make any meaningful free trade agreements with any country outside the bloc and those it has managed to secure pale into insignificance compared to what was offered through being an EU member state.<br><br>A particular case in point is the trade deal made with Australia which, even according to former environment secretary George Eustace, has left worse off. Eustice, who helped secure the first post-Brexit deal negotiated from scratch, told a Commons debate that it was "not actually a very good deal for the UK" [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/14/flagship-post-brexit-australia-trade-deal-not-actually-very-good-george-eustice">Guardian</a> / <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63627801">BBC</a>].<br><br>The deal was even mocked on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J5Pds9M8d0&ab_channel=OldQueenTV">Australian breakfast television</a>.<br><br>The deal removes tariffs on £4.3bn of exports, making it cheaper to sell iconic products like cars, Scotch whisky and ceramics into Australia, according to the UK government which called the agreement 'historic'. However, the deal was only forecast to raise Britain's GDP by 0.08% by 2035 [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/31/uk-post-brexit-trade-deals-with-australia-and-new-zealand-kick-in">Guardian</a>]. <br><br>In the northern hemisphere Britain has failed to make any inroads in terms of making deals. Despite a 'special relationship' with the US, a free trade deal seems as elusive as ever.<br><br>The same is true of Canada, a commonwealth country with Britain expected to reestablish stronger ties.<br><br>But despite nearly two years of negotiations everything fell flat in January leaving Britain worse off than had it remained part of the EU.<br><br>Canada had been pushing for the UK to relax a ban on hormone-treated beef, which its producers say in effect shuts them out of the British market [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68098177">BBC</a>].<br><br>However, the same meat products remain banned in the EU despite having a trade agreement with Canada known as CETA or Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.<br><br>Britain previously traded under these rules but having left the EU had to negotiate its own agreement. <br><br>Under CETA there exists a tariff rate quota of 16,000,000 kilograms for EU cheeses with the likes of France, Italy and the Netherlands benefitting substantially. But after the 1st January 2024 Britain fell out of this arrangement and with no separate deal in place it could prove disastrous for the UK dairy industry.<br><br>From the 1st January 2024, for UK cheese to be eligible for export under Canada's WTO quota, UK exporters need to ensure the Canadian importer they are partnering with has access to an import licence for the 'non-EU sources reserve'. <br><br>If UK exporters do not have this, any cheese products they export to Canada will be subject to the full tariffs which amount to 245% [<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notice-to-exporters-2024-update-on-uks-cheese-exports-to-canada/notice-to-exporters-202401-uk-moving-into-the-non-eu-sources-reserve-of-canadas-wto-cheese-quota">UK Gov</a>].<br><br>This could mean tougher trading terms for the UK with a partner that accounted for 1.4% of its total trade in the 12 months to June 2023.<br><br>The UK exported over two million kilograms of cheese to Canada in 2022. And a massive slice of that are Coombe Castle products. "Essentially, we're going to fall off the edge of a cliff at the end of this year," Darren Larvin, the managing director of Coombe Castle International, was quoted as saying by <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/uk-cheese-import-changes-1.7065052">CBC</a> last December.<br><br>Prior to January 2024 a 320 gram pack of Coombe Castle cheese cost Ca$12.99 [around £7.60]. With a 245% mark up this would push the price up to some Ca$31.82 [£18.65].<br><br>Goods trade between the two countries was worth £19.2bn in 2020, according to the UK government, with UK imports from Canada worth £7.3bn and UK exports to Canada worth £11.8bn.<br><br>And while overall UK cheese exports to Canada are relatively small, it is nonetheless significant. British cheese exports to Canada were worth £18.7m - or 2.4% of total cheese exports - in 2022, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). That translates to Canada importing a little more than two million kilograms of cheese from the UK (its fifth largest supplier), international trade data indicates [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68107263">BBC</a>].<br><br>For some firms the loss of this market could be devastating with some being forced to reduce production and staff. The longer the situation continues the more difficult it will be to reestablish trade links.<br><br>Boris Johnson had sold Brexit with priceless opportunities such as being able to sell "more affordable high-quality cheese to Canada" [<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9636453/Boris-Johnson-pleads-Canada-import-affordable-high-quality-British-cheese.html">Daily Mail</a>]. But instead the lies and failed promises have left a sour taste and left many cheese makers cheesed off [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/dec/23/hard-cheese-canada-rejects-british-attempt-to-secure-tariff-free-exports">Guardian</a>].<br><br>But it's no joke for the estimated 7,845 people employed in the British butter & cheese industry. A 2.5% loss in trade with Canada could potentially result in job losses. And while it might be a simplification to say the industry could see a similar cut in jobs, this could translate into around 200 job losses. For firms such as Coombe Castle, which send around a third of its products to Canada, it's an existential crisis.<br><br>Overall Britain's cheese exports have shrunk in the last year, decreasing by £-4.11M (-5.65%) from £72.7M to £68.6M [<a href="https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/cheese/reporter/gbr?redirect=true">OEC</a>]. The collapse of a potential trade deal with Canada will do nothing to boost confidence. <br><br>And it's not just cheese either. The breakdown in talks mean British car firms could also face higher tariffs. It will also mean Britain will miss out on opportunities to secure better terms for digital trade, which makes up four-fifths of the UK's services exports to Canada.<br><br>"This was supposed to be done quite quickly because it was just an upgrade of an existing deal," says William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce. "But in the end, it has taken two years to achieve nothing." [<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/01/27/how-row-over-cheese-blew-up-britains-trade-deal-canada/">Telegraph</a>]<br><br>Once again, Britain has found that Brexit was not quite the land of open opportunities, unicorns and sunny uplands that was sold to the British public. <br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-57885419795548959912024-01-30T12:35:00.000+00:002024-01-30T12:36:12.046+00:00Brexit likely to hit Britain hard in coming days<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrpg0lqyh34XF--z2bVDqTAcWMjeHNDZQE5XJLj2IlATal36Xf53H6bs9MDZTrilV-T7UBZfdtSNmrRz78nWMd_DHCuURNBGr0sNfSuVnw96e0spHDR6S0qZ47c-aW7O1-n7h_e8HUeQ24oYtF2-j0x5G9oNwWgwBvmwZC0GMTd85jvTse5OngKQ"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrpg0lqyh34XF--z2bVDqTAcWMjeHNDZQE5XJLj2IlATal36Xf53H6bs9MDZTrilV-T7UBZfdtSNmrRz78nWMd_DHCuURNBGr0sNfSuVnw96e0spHDR6S0qZ47c-aW7O1-n7h_e8HUeQ24oYtF2-j0x5G9oNwWgwBvmwZC0GMTd85jvTse5OngKQ=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7329869239572697778" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">The pain of Brexit has been a long burn with various transitions coming into effect over time. Should the consequential rules have come into effect the moment the UK left the EU, many people would have realised that Brexit was a mistake. However, the average UK citizen has not seen the direct effects because many of the consequences of becoming a third country have only been implemented over time.<div><br></div><div><b>Passport checks & queues</b><br><br>Already one has seen the effects of increased passport checks at borders. As a third country British citizens can only stay in the EU for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Thus all UK passports need to be checked and stamped at entry and exit points. This has resulted in delays at airports and ports. The port of Dover has been particularly badly hit, especially at busy times, with massive queues and delays being experienced by holiday makers. But freight has been even more hard hit with parts of the A20 into Dover becoming an almost daily lorry park with queues sometimes exceeding 20 km.<br><br>Some customs checks have already been implemented meaning checks on lorries travelling to and from the EU. But this week sees the introduction of new government policy on the control of EU produce entering the UK, with firms fearing delays, rising costs and the ability of border posts to cope [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68135059">BBC</a>]. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Red tape</b><br><br>UK food and farm exports to the EU have required extra red tape, checks and delays for two years, but their competitors on the continent have enjoyed unfettered access to the UK. As of Wednesday, four years on from Brexit day, new rules come into effect meaning changes for food and plant product imports from the European Union.<br><br>In short it means extra, costly paperwork. This will mean further checks on both sides of the channel. This will likely mean further delays in shipping goods between the EU and UK. This in turn may lead to some exporters giving up on the UK as it becomes unviable. For larger exporters, costs may be swallowed up, but for smaller exporters the increased costs and delays may result in them giving up on the UK altogether.<br><br>Post-Brexit requirements mean that nurseries now have to secure phytosanitary certificates – health checks – before plants can be shipped, costing tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds each year and sometimes adding a week to delivery times. In April, many animal and plant products coming from mainland Europe will also have to undergo physical checks at newly installed UK border posts.<br><br>From Wednesday, all imported plant and animal products will be categorised as low, medium or high risk. Those seen as medium and high, which includes meat and dairy products, as well as most plants, will now require checks from plant health inspectors or vets before they can be transported.<br><br>While the new rules bring a level playing field to both those exporting <i>to the EU</i> and those exporting <i>from the EU into the UK</i>, the change will hit UK consumers hard.<br><br>Until now the main effect on exporting requirements has little affected most Britons. <br><br>While there have been delays and disruptions to supply chains resulting in some shortages seen in supermarkets, the biggest effect of post-Brexit rules thus far has only affected UK exporters.<br><br>The main physical manifestation has been the long queues of lorries seen on the A20 near Dover. But the delays and extra paperwork has also resulted in many smaller UK firms giving up on the EU market. <br><br><b>Cost to business</b><br><br>There are countless tales of firms either going bust or downsizing due to EU exports becoming more difficult or too costly. In August last year the Guardian reported that at least 100 firms had gone to the wall because of post-Brexit red-tape [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/aug/19/craft-beer-boom-uk-firms-bust-brexit">Guardian</a>].<br><br>In May last year it was reported that UK fruit exports to the EU had dropped by more than half since Brexit [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/22/uk-fruit-exports-to-eu-have-dropped-by-more-than-half-since-brexit">Guardian</a>]. <br><br>While the pandemic certainly had some effect, it seems clear that Brexit was a compounding factor. Indeed figures published in June showed that Britain was lagging behind all G7 countries [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/jun/13/uk-exports-record-worse-than-any-g7-country-except-japan-in-last-decade">Guardian</a>].<br><br>As a third country Britain's fishing industry was immediately hit by Brexit following the transition. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) came into force in January 2021 and overnight hit mussel farmers and those exporting bivalve molluscs. Most bivalve molluscs, such as mussels and oysters, that have not been purified before export are essentially banned from the EU. This has impacted UK exports which were exempt when the UK was part of the EU. <br><br>However, the EU bans the import of live bivalve molluscs from third countries. One of the biggest markets for UK producers of mussels and oysters was France. But the ban resulted in making the farming of these molluscs unsustainable.<br><br>Britain represents only a small percentage of the mollusc market for UK producers. Thus, with much of their market essentially closed off, many of these firms have gone out of business [<a href="https://thefishsite.com/articles/the-eu-bivalve-trade-ban-is-killing-business-for-britains-shellfish-farmers">TheFishSite</a> / <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/02/eu-rules-on-some-types-of-shellfish-leave-uk-fishermen-devastated">Guardian</a>]. <br><br>Moules mariniére has been off the menu for Britons for some time now as live mussels have become as rare as hens teeth in supermarkets across the country. There are a few that stock pre packed products, but as anyone who has prepared the dish from scratch, they pale compared to a freshly cooked dish.<br><br><b>Uncertain future</b></div><div><br>UK producers have already said that the new rules that come into effect this week are impossible to plan for [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/27/its-impossible-to-plan-uk-importers-braced-for-storm-at-ports-amid-new-brexit-checks">Guardian</a>].<br><br>And with further changes and checks expected to come into force in October, Britain could see some very dark times ahead. <br><br>While overall inflation has dropped to around 4%, food inflation remains high at 8% according to the ONS. <br><br>Further disruptions to the supply of food from Europe is only likely to impact prices. <br><br>Food industry bodies in Europe and the UK are already warning of impending supply chain disruption as Britain introduces new border bureaucracy on EU food and drink and imports for the first time since Brexit according to the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/6d83c96b-109f-4d6c-a7f9-57626a135bd8">Financial Times</a>.<br><br>The introduction of complex paperwork to certify all EU products of plant and animal origin entering the UK from 31st January risks fouling up the supply of a number of products, including pork and sugared liquid eggs used in cake and sauces.<br><br>But it's not just a few specific food items. The new checks apply to a wide range of imports. In the last week the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-uk-food-shortages-eu-imports-b2485561.html">Independent</a> reported that specialist meats such as Parma hams and Spanish chorizo sausages could begin disappearing from the shelves of UK supermarkets and delicatessens.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Shortages possible</b> <br><br>The Brexit border rules could cut shelf life of fresh food from the EU by a fifth, some experts have suggested with the requirement for importers to give 24 hours' notice of deliveries described as 'unfeasible' by suppliers [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/30/brexit-border-rules-could-cut-shelf-life-of-fresh-food-from-eu-by-a-fifth-say-experts">Guardian</a>].<br><br>Currently, suppliers in the EU do not need to notify the UK government before delivering meat and dairy products, meaning deliveries can arrive in the UK within hours of being dispatched from their farms or processing plants in the EU.<br><br>However, under new border rules coming into effect in April, the government requires importers to notify the UK authorities at least a day before they arrive at a border post, which businesses fear will add huge delays to deliveries of perishable goods.<br><br>For large businesses the extra red tape may be only a small part of the whole procedure. The costs involved may also be swallowed or spread across their business model as a whole. But for smaller EU exporters these extra costs could prove detrimental.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Rising costs and inflation</b><br><br>The extra costs will, of course, be passed on to UK buyers, supermarkets and ultimately consumers. Thus, the outcome will manifest itself with disrupted supply chains which in turn could well result in shortages on the shelves. In turn the price of goods from the EU could increase.<br><br>The costs of extra paperwork has already been estimated to result in a 0.2% increase in inflation over the next two years. The figure might sound small, but in a country where there is already a cost of living crisis with food inflation already the highest in Europe.<br><br>The overall price of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose around 26% between December 2022 and December 2023. In the 10 years prior to this, overall food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 9%. Prices in restaurants and cafes rose by 7.7% in the year to December 2023, down from 8.2% in November [<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/articles/costoflivinginsights/food">ONS</a>]. <br><br>In comparison, the cost of food in the European Union increased 5.87% in December of 2023 over the same month in the previous year. Food Inflation in the European Union averaged 3.63% from 1997 until 2023, reaching an all time high of 19.19% in March of 2023 and a record low of -1.20 percent in June of 2014 [<a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/european-union/food-inflation">Trading Economics</a>]. <br><br>It would be fair to say that Europe as a whole has experienced higher food prices. But Britain has been harder hit, arguably due to rules imposed by Brexit.<br><br>Annual inflation in the EU has been declining whilst food inflation remains high, hitting low-income families across Europe.<br><br>Inflation in the euro area has slowed down since its peak of 10.6% (11.5% in the EU) in October 2022 to 2.9% (3.6% in the EU) in October 2023.<br><br>However, food inflation remains stubbornly high as consumers continue to grapple with a cost of living crisis [<a href="https://www.euronews.com/business/2023/11/21/real-food-inflation-in-europe-which-countries-are-hit-the-hardest">Euronews</a>]. <br><br>But Britain has seen far greater inflation with few signs of recovery.<br><br><b>Opaque reporting</b><br><br>Unfortunately, there are few media outlets reporting any of this, bar a few reports in the FT, Guardian, Independent and BBC. BBC Newsnight, which has seen its audience drop significantly, did highlight the impending problems just two days before the second anniversary of Britain leaving with a 'deal' [<a href="https://twitter.com/vicderbyshire/status/1752116707001340379">Twitter</a>]. But the warnings are still falling on deaf ears as the country heads towards a general election.<br><br>The Tories are still maintaining that there are benefits to having left the EU and proclaiming there are more opportunities to come. The Labour party meanwhile either refuse to discuss the topic or say they will 'make Brexit work'. Even the Liberal Democrats which famously released its 2019 manifesto with the slogan 'Bollocks to Brexit' has gone very quiet on the subject.<br><br>Without a doubt, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine has affected the UK economy, but it is Brexit that is the elephant in the room.<br><br><b>Collision course</b><br><br>Like a starship on a trajectory towards the sun someone must eventually make the decision to turn the ship around. The Tory's blind faith of remaining on course will only result in the starship burning up altogether. Labour's belief of simply altering course ever so slightly might just send the starship deeper into space never to be seen again. <br><br>Damage has already been done to starship Britain, but by returning to Earth the damage could be repaired. <br><br><b>False promises</b></div><div><br></div><div>Proponents of Brexit claimed that Britain could make deals with countries beyond the EU and forge new free trade deals. Yet all of the deals made thus far have been roll-on deals whilst negotiations to establish new free trade deals have all but broken down. <br><br>A much hoped for US free trade deal has been rejected out of hand by both the previous Trump administration and and the current Biden administration. And in the last week negotiations with Canada broke down but like many such stories was little reported [<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/26/business/uk-pauses-canada-trade-negotiations/index.html">CNN</a> / <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/26/uk-suspends-trade-talks-canada-no-progress-details-agriculture-markets">Guardian</a> / <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68098177">BBC</a>]. <br><br>There was a slight glimmer of light some seven years after that fateful 2016 vote as the DUP in Northern Ireland eventually accepted a post-Brexit deal and agreed to return to Stormont to reestablish power sharing, with Sinn Féin set to nominate its inaugural first minister after Westminster legislated to end checks on goods moving within the UK and imposition of EU law [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/30/stormont-power-sharing-restart-northern-island-dup-deal">Guardian</a>].<br><br>But while this is a significant shift in Northern Ireland which will surely bring some stability, the new checks to come to the rest of the UK concerning EU imports will bring more instability to an already ailing economy.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-43148255710831979692023-12-20T18:33:00.001+00:002023-12-20T18:33:32.704+00:00Qatar, the elephant in the room in war between Israel & Hamas<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRHF00AOKf8bh-Isib7hYLQyQdLQMgIRqQRI_gOYdnlS3LPPBwv8ZaZ2vwtT7oqsjOjP0rsMSiTwQG4GuNVv3S8LvHm0xW4qmPtkZQVjbwcH3PO5yjq5DQGXqIqhlpqOXekAwaTnuTF4YfR7G4SrVZj516AjHLoAPyN46p7k0fHzoJ-ldcSSMeZQ"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRHF00AOKf8bh-Isib7hYLQyQdLQMgIRqQRI_gOYdnlS3LPPBwv8ZaZ2vwtT7oqsjOjP0rsMSiTwQG4GuNVv3S8LvHm0xW4qmPtkZQVjbwcH3PO5yjq5DQGXqIqhlpqOXekAwaTnuTF4YfR7G4SrVZj516AjHLoAPyN46p7k0fHzoJ-ldcSSMeZQ=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7314746831759345634" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Qatar, in recent days, has been praised for helping broker a temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel which saw the release of dozens of hostages held by the terror group and over 100 Palestinians held by Israel.<br><br>While Qatar's position as a mediator cannot be disputed, the irony is that without Qatar's help Hamas might not even exist in the first place.<br><br>More than $1.8 billion has been supplied to Hamas, designated a terrorist organisation by a number of governments around the globe including the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. Indeed Qatar is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatari_support_for_Hamas" target="_blank">key financial backer</a> and ally of the Palestinian militant organisation.<br><br>Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, repeatedly attacking Israel. Hamas was founded in the 1980s and has been opposed to the late Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) since its inception. Unlike the PLO, Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist. Its emblem depicts the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the outline of the territory of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank as a single Palestinian state.<br><br>In this regard, and especially since the 7th October terror attacks on Israel, Hamas is seen as an existential threat by Israel.<br><br>In 2006, Hamas won the absolute majority in Gaza's general elections. In 2007, it solidified its hold on the coastal enclave through a violent coup. Since then, the West Bank has been controlled by the moderate Fatah party under Mahmoud Abbas, while Gaza has remained under Hamas' control.<br><br>But it has cemented its control only through vast sums of money flowing from its allies, the biggest of which is Qatar.<br><br>Qatar, which has been pouring money into the region since at least 2009, has insisted the money is not to help Hamas but rather the Palestinian people as a whole. However, given Hamas controls everything from the health ministry to its own military machine, this is a naive statement at best.<br><br>Qatar's hosting of a number of Hamas leaders on its own territory also seems to show where the gulf state's allegiance lies.<br><br>Moreover, following the Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on 7th October 2023, and the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Qatar's hosting of the Hamas political office in Doha has come under greater scrutiny.<br><br>Speaking to the media in Doha alongside Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani [pictured], US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, "there can be no more business as usual with Hamas."<br><br>But this call has largely fallen on deaf ears within the Qatari regime which continues to criticise Israel for what it calls a disproportionate military response to those attacks.<br><br>Putting aside Israel's response to the October terror attacks, and the large number of civilians that have been killed, Qatar too, has much to answer for.<br><br>So too have countries that have allowed Qatar to build its wealth within their territories.<br><br>If Qatar is responsible for funding a terror group, so too surely are nations complicit if they allow Qatar to raise funds on foreign soil.<br><br>Yet there appears to a blind eye turned when it comes to Qatar's business interests.<br><br>Much of this foreign investment is managed through the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Investment_Authority" target="_blank">Qatar Investment Authority</a> set up by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamad_bin_Khalifa_Al_Thani" target="_blank">Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani</a> a member of the ruling Al Thani Qatari royal family. It is now headed by his son <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamim_bin_Hamad_Al_Thani" target="_blank">Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani</a>.<br><br>Amongst its main holdings, the QIA have a number of key assets including Harrods as well as significant shares in a number of financial institutions and other companies.<br><br>The $1.8 billion reportedly given to Hamas is relatively insignificant compared to the billions invested in and made by the QIA as a whole. But nonetheless no-one has called out the financial links between Qatar and a designated terror group.<br><br>It is not only Hamas that Qatar is funding. Qatar has also been accused of indirectly funding other terrorist organisations of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_and_state-sponsored_terrorism" target="_blank">allowing terror financiers</a> to operate from within Qatar.<br><br>Yet al Thani is welcomed by world leaders without a flinch of concern. Earlier this year the Qatar leader was greeted by the UK PM Rishi Sunak in Downing Street, yet there was no mention of financial ties to Hamas or the funding of terrorism. Indeed it was more focused on further financial deals with Qatar buying more UK assets [<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-meeting-with-the-amir-of-qatar-5-may-2023" target="_blank">No.10</a>]. And even this last week al Thani shook hands with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Dubai at the beginning of COP28 where the main topic of discussion was rising global temperatures [<a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-truce-ends-herzog-qatari-emir-seen-in-first-public-meeting-of-countries-leaders/" target="_blank">Times of Israel</a>].<br><br>India and China have been criticised for not doing enough to temper global climate change which has also been labelled an existential crisis.<br><br>But state sponsorship of terror groups is also a global threat. As such al Thani and others like him need also to be called out for their complicity and funding of terror groups.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-75617362001583023522023-12-02T13:31:00.001+00:002023-12-02T13:36:12.857+00:00Stolen treasure - The Legacy of the British Empire<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjN7JkBLDblVkwYS5h2rp1Tf8zAFdHDXirYhZMJppxN7xjoAHCk4mNdNy7Mx7nHW6zMgEkX-78YBzIijZzxYFsvQmG1tBJ2uq7XTrOsfygvqe_1h10l_EaQ4etNCq77IVJUhl63In6jUv53vqsojDP5x5nBJnHdCHEHGnEoMCqomgMbpgalPRnw_Q"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7307989506214811890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjN7JkBLDblVkwYS5h2rp1Tf8zAFdHDXirYhZMJppxN7xjoAHCk4mNdNy7Mx7nHW6zMgEkX-78YBzIijZzxYFsvQmG1tBJ2uq7XTrOsfygvqe_1h10l_EaQ4etNCq77IVJUhl63In6jUv53vqsojDP5x5nBJnHdCHEHGnEoMCqomgMbpgalPRnw_Q=s320" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">In the last week the subject of whether the Elgin marbles should be returned to Greece has once again entered the public discussion after the UK PM Rishi Sunak snubbed his Greek counterpart and cancelled a scheduled meeting [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/nov/28/greek-leader-kyriakos-mitsotakis-rishi-sunak-parthenon-marbles">Guardian</a>].<br /><br /><b>Greek claims</b><br /><br />In many respects Greece has a valid claim on demanding the return of the Parthenon marbles, and Rishi Sunak's reaction could be regarded as petulant or petty. But where does one draw the line concerning what should be returned to their countries of origin?<br /><br /><b>What is property?</b><br /><br />There has been much philosophical discussion concerning property and ownership throughout history. Proudhon famously suggested that "Property is theft" in his 1840 thesis <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_is_theft">La propriété, c'est le vol!</a> Of course it depends on one's position concerning the definition of what property is, as Marx asserted in his critique of Proudhon's thesis.<br /><br />There are some who would assert that '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possession_is_nine-tenths_of_the_law">possession is nine tenths of the law</a>' . It could be regarded as an oversimplified statement, but the principle is based on the tenet that the possession or property belongs to the person or body holding it unless evidence can be shown to prove otherwise.<br /><br />So how does the evidence hold up concerning many treasures and artefacts sitting in private collections, museums or in the hands of the British state?<br /><br /><b>Theft, plunder and spoils of war</b><br /><br />Since antiquity nations have taken their plunder after invasions or seizure of foreign lands. Such spoils of war were considered acceptable by many nations until relatively recently. But one might hope that in this age of modernity, nations could become more grown up and begin a process of repatriating the plunder secured through colonialism or war.<br /><br />Some nations have indeed begun this process of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repatriation_(cultural_property)">repatriation</a>. Japan, for example, has returned vast swathes of cultural items to South Korea that were plundered during its colonial occupation from 1910 to 1945.<br /><br />But Britain stands out as being one country unwilling to revisit its colonialist past, make reparations and repatriate stolen items.<br /><br /><b>Britain's plunder</b><br /><br />The Parthenon Marbles are known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles">Elgin Marbles</a> since it was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bruce,_7th_Earl_of_Elgin">Lord Elgin</a> that had secured them from the Ottoman Empire, of which Greece was a part at the time. Greece has since become an independent state, and as such feels it has a legitimate right to call for their return.<br /><br />The Greek government and supporters of the marbles' return to Greece have argued that they were obtained illegally or unethically, that they are of exceptional cultural importance to Greece, and that their cultural value would be best appreciated in a unified public display with the other major Parthenon antiquities in the Acropolis Museum. The UK government and British Museum have argued that they were obtained legally, that their return would set a precedent which could undermine the collections of the major museums of world culture, and that the British Museum's collection allows them to be better viewed in the context of other major ancient cultures and thus complements the perspective provided by the Acropolis Museum.<br /><br />Supporters of the British position are partly correct that the Elgin Marbles return could set a precedent. But is it morally acceptable for Britain to hold on to its nefarious gains?<br /><br />Narendra Modi of India has, for example, demanded the return of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor">Koh-i-Noor diamond</a> that has found its way into the crown jewels, specifically the state crown.<br /><br />Nigeria has long called for the repatriation of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benin_Bronzes">Benin bronzes</a> that sit in the British Museum. And Egypt has demanded the return of artefacts plundered since the 18th century including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone">Rosetta Stone</a> which also sits in the British Museum as well as other looted antiquities including a statue of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Younger_Memnon">Ramesses II</a>.<br /><br />In fact the British Museum is a building overflowing with stolen items or acquired by unethical methods. It would be true to say that the museum would be somewhat sparse should such items be returned. But should not a national museum represent its own culture rather than displaying stolen loot from around the globe?<br /><br /><b>Representing one's own culture</b><div><br />Museums in China, South Korea and even across parts of Europe are not so much filled with plundered treasures as historical artefacts from their own respective cultures.<br /><br />British history might not be as culturally rich as some nations. But it has to be asked how Britain might feel should the position be reversed. What if Stonehenge sat in a foreign museum or prominent statues had been taken and now sat in a building half way round the globe. <br /><br />How would the British government feel about the Victoria memorial residing somewhere in China, and the palace nearby lay in ruins after being raised by invading Chinese troops? There would undoubtedly be ongoing consternation and anger as well as a demand for its return.<br /><br />Yet the exact opposite is true. Initially constructed in 1707 the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Summer_Palace">Old Summer Palace</a>, or Yuanmingyuan, was destroyed by Anglo-French expeditionary forces and treasures, including the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Summer_Palace_bronze_heads">bronze zodiac heads</a>, were looted partly under instruction of James Bruce, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bruce,_8th_Earl_of_Elgin">8th Earl of Elgin</a> and son of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Bruce,_7th_Earl_of_Elgin">7th Earl of Elgin</a> who took the Elgin marbles.<br /><br />While the looting and sacking of the Old Summer Palace was in retribution and a warning to the Qing Empire not to use kidnapping as a political tactic against Britain, it has to also be questioned why British and other foreign forces were even in China. This was a time when many European countries were colonising various parts of the world, enslaving indigenous people and plundering their lands of treasures. With regards China the British also brought chaos by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars">supplying opium</a> and creating a huge drug addiction problem in China, especially in the south near Canton, now Guangdong.<br /><br />While China has recovered many of the bronze zodiac heads, including two returned from Britain, five remain unaccounted for. Speculation continues as to where the missing antiquities are. <br /><br />Nearly a quarter of a century into the new millennium Britain in particular is in the sights of many countries demanding the return of their stolen treasure.<br /><br />Maybe the British Museum might look a little sparse with only stone age, Saxon, Viking, Roman and later historical finds on display. But at least it would be a 'British' museum rather than it being a museum of stolen treasure.<br /><br /><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-33648708004391201902023-10-18T16:58:00.001+00:002023-10-18T16:58:39.756+00:00Sky's "Unhinged" Botting criticised for anti-Israeli bias<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhto0-uduhJxHOEL2Gp8UispQeHgHVTcAD0EMdFqcQ8CFIq1pQdjr9h3n8X2nE9r8FrBBWSDHwGEzoGtwXsCstm31tLNyyKKZZ8i325e2ZU4QKcM6vTjthY8bsmfvaGGp7IKDidoXP3wg6lFgahX8a1AVMbGykoesrQtH7_fIT7kU-Zb8XTb02blg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhto0-uduhJxHOEL2Gp8UispQeHgHVTcAD0EMdFqcQ8CFIq1pQdjr9h3n8X2nE9r8FrBBWSDHwGEzoGtwXsCstm31tLNyyKKZZ8i325e2ZU4QKcM6vTjthY8bsmfvaGGp7IKDidoXP3wg6lFgahX8a1AVMbGykoesrQtH7_fIT7kU-Zb8XTb02blg=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7291344017687743858" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Anna Botting, Sky News correspondent, has brought sharp criticism following her interview with Mark Regev, Senior Advisor to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in the wake of an explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist hospital in Gaza.<br><br>During the interview, Botting inferred that Israel was directly responsible and that Israel had gone too far in its response to the terror attacks on the 7th October 2023.<br><br>While there were comments on social media in support of Botting, there was a groundswell of criticism too.<br><br>"This is by the far the worst, most biased interview by a professed journalist I've ever seen," one <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/telaviv/comments/17ahd6j/anna_botting_of_sky_news_should_be_fired/">Reddit</a> user wrote, "Using Hamas as her news source, she acts as their mouthpiece in an interview of Mark Regev not designed to elicit facts but to demonize Israel. Kudos to Regev for keeping his cool and highlighting her obscene bias, double standards, and failure to comprehend Israel's right to self defense.<br><br>"The look in [the] eyes of the journalist is scary, like she is deranged" a comment said on <a href="https://youtu.be/s1f0youDkhk?si=vZgx4cxIn05e-XcE">YouTube</a> where Sky News posted the full video.<br><br>"I appreciate that her job is to challenge the narrative and the interviewer, but she took it too far and lost her impartiality," another said, "It is not for her to agree or disagree with the interviewee (on camera and in public, she can agree with whomever she likes in private), but her job is to the ask difficult questions on our behalf that need to be asked when people are being killed."<br><br>Many described her as "unhinged", "angy" and "biased", having clearly made up her mind before facts had been established. "I bet she won't be that emotional and screech at any Hamas spokesman about the atrocities they committed," one Twitter user said. Others described her as a Hamas apologist [<a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1714375618983236061">Twitter</a>].<br><br>While it is true to say that many of the Israeli airstrikes in the week of bombardments have resulted in civilian casualties, it has to be said that such instances are 'collateral damage' and not intentional on Israel's part. Hamas on the other hand have been indiscriminate in launching terror attacks against Israel.<br><br>In the hours that followed it seemed clear that the tragedy at the hospital was not as a result of an Israeli airstrike. Still photographs showing the damage were not consistent with an Israeli missile with no visible crater on the ground and only minimal damage to the hospital itself.<br><br>Video evidence seemed to back up Israeli claims that the blast occurred after a missile fired from Gaza failed and fell short landing in the parking lot of the hospital and created a fireball. Israeli intelligence released an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoGWpFrVZrY">audio tape</a> said to be of a telephone call between two Hamas operatives which appeared to indicate this was indeed the case and that the missile was one fired by Islamic Jihad from a nearby cemetery.<br><br>None of this was known shortly after the explosion had occurred. However, Botting clearly jumped the gun and went with the line issued by Palestinian sources that it was an Israeli airstrike. Moreover she, along with many other media outlets accepted the casualty count without question.<br><br>It is clear there were casualties at the hospital as a result of the explosion. But the numbers come from Palestinian authorities, that is Hamas, which has everything to gain by inflating those figures. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, has said 471 were killed, but it is difficult to verify the veracity of these numbers, though the figure is well below the 800 that the ministry claimed might die as a result of the 'strike'.<br><br>The following day Botting was still referring to the blast at the hospital as an "attack" and another Sky report referred to the incident as a "strike" which precipitated anger in Bierut and the West Bank.<br><br>Sky News was not the only channel jumping to conclusions. Al Jazeera and TRT as well as many Arabic news stations were all describing the incident as an Israeli strike soon after the explosion. This has all helped to fuel the fire in a region which has strong anti-Israeli sentiments. Not all outlets jumped to conclusions. The BBC, CNN and Fox News were all cautious in their language, describing the incident as a 'blast' or 'explosion' and clearly citing claims of it being an Israeli strike as being a claim made by Hamas.<br><br>On the streets off nearby Jordan crowds gathered Wednesday chanting "All of Jordan is with Hamas". And there has been unrest across the West Bank and in Lebanon.<br><br>"I can see Anna [Botting] getting some compulsory time off very soon..." one Twitter user wrote. Whether this happens will all depend on if she makes any more missteps.<div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-6155067191057455342023-10-13T12:15:00.001+00:002023-10-13T12:15:37.211+00:00Questions over Israeli response to Hamas attack<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEqLYPjvYwaHFCsfc-wwxqBZsY1VOR27IXi7AYQc8ntfOQzevLh9mXXT-QxNabQsYSk3yhQYzs8zTv2CShEOSkya9DUpljdjBtrLo3iMDQrj5Fmbezv9aChMx0MaajTIDXdtItqmgSHEPfr-vG0vSGPKYZ2eyIosHsNCzfXJdifOoywi1QfOM2_w"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEqLYPjvYwaHFCsfc-wwxqBZsY1VOR27IXi7AYQc8ntfOQzevLh9mXXT-QxNabQsYSk3yhQYzs8zTv2CShEOSkya9DUpljdjBtrLo3iMDQrj5Fmbezv9aChMx0MaajTIDXdtItqmgSHEPfr-vG0vSGPKYZ2eyIosHsNCzfXJdifOoywi1QfOM2_w=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7289415655036238146" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">When Hamas launched its attack into Israel it wasn't just Israelis and Jews that became the target of their onslaught. Some six days on it has become clear that many other nationalities were killed, kidnapped or suffered injury. Victims included Chinese, Thai, British and American citizens, details of which are only just emerging. The attacks have been widely condemned with many saying Israel has a "right to defend itself". But Israel's response to the attacks has been criticised as one of retribution and revenge. With pictures emerging from Gaza showing the destruction from days of aerial bombardment Israel risks losing support and feeding propaganda which will act as a recruiting sergeant for extremists.<br><br><b>Hamas targets</b><br><br>While the vast majority of victims in the Hamas attack were Israeli or Jewish, other nationalities also became victims.<br><br>Three Chinese were killed in the Hamas terror attack according to the foreign affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin who spoke in a press briefing on Thursday. "We can confirm that three Chinese nationals were killed in the clashes," he said "Two are missing and several are injured." [<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/israel-china-conflict-deaths-citizens-1834088">Newsweek</a>]<br><br>Meanwhile 12 Thai workers were killed and 11 kidnapped with a further 13 injured according to the Thai foreign ministry [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-67052021">BBC</a>]. A video posted on social media also appears to show Hamas terrorists beheading one of the Thai workers with a garden hoe while shouting 'Alah Akbar' [God is great]. The video has been disputed by some on social media and the veracity of it cannot be established.<br><br>Children are amongst 17 Britons killed in the assault carried out by Hamas on Saturday 7th October [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67076865">BBC</a>]. It is not known how many British citizens have been taken hostage although one 26-year-old has been reported as missing after the attack at the Re'im kibbutz.<br><br>Some 27 Americans have been reported killed with around 14 unaccounted for [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/12/americans-killed-hamas-attack-israel-gaza-blinken">Guardian</a> / <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/4252634-27-americans-killed-hamas-attacks/">The Hill</a>].<br><br>At least 1,200 were killed in the assault, around 300 reportedly IDF soldiers. Some 200 are believed held hostage by Hamas, their fate unknown. The youngest is said to be 9-months-old while the oldest is reported to be an 85-year-old grandmother. A further 3,400 were injured in the assault [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Israel%E2%80%93Hamas_war">Wikipedia</a>].<br><br><b>Defence or revenge?</b><div><br>It is clear, for anyone with eyes, that the Hamas attack was indiscriminate. And while accounts of the debauchery and bestial nature of the attacks on women, children and babies have been disputed, the fact is Hamas clearly targeted civilians and killed them in cold blood.<br><br>However, Israel has lost the moral ground in many respects by initiating a large-scale air assault on the Gaza region.<br><br>It is well known that Hamas fighters embed themselves in civilian areas and as such any air assault would undoubtedly result in civilian casualties. Taking out water and electricity supplies, as well as preventing humanitarian supplies from entering the region, also leaves Israel open to criticism.<br><br>Netanyahu has said Israel's objective is to weed out and destroy Hamas once and for all. But by killing civilians and babies in large scale airstrikes may only give Hamas and similar groups fuel for their anti-Israeli propaganda.<br><br>Of course, Israel could not have sat down and done nothing. But perhaps a better solution would have been a ground offensive, backed up with air support. There would undoubtedly be IDF casualties in such an assault but Israel would have maintained the moral high ground in such a venture especially if run in tandem with placing displaced citizens in a safe area behind enemy lines as they moved south and provided them with humanitarian supplies. Following a full sweep of the territory, which would have likely taken many weeks, Israel could then have initiated either a peacekeeping operation giving way to UN peacekeepers overtime. A gradual withdrawal could then be made as the situation became stable. This would not happen overnight and would require establishment of moderate political leaders in the region who would be acceptable to, not only Israel, but also the population in the Gaza strip itself.<br><br>The current reality on the ground seems to be heading in a far different direction. Israel's military has called on civilians to leave Gaza city and head south in what has been widely perceived as a signal that a ground offensive is imminent. Hamas meanwhile have reportedly ordered citizens to remain in their homes. Even if free to leave, many would not have the means to escape. Few people would have vehicles and a journey on foot would be arduous even though the strip is only some 40 km long.<br><br>There is much speculation as to how intensive the ground assault will be. Some commentators say it will be fraught. Ben Wedeman, CNN's international correspondent, suggested it could be a "bloodbath".<br><br>Israel cannot sit back and do nothing, especially given the nature of the attack launched by Hamas on unarmed civilians. But its military response also needs to be measured and targeted or it may only serve to fuel the fire and feed Islamist propaganda.<br><br>As Mahatma Gandhi is often attributed as saying, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-35009600776905993772023-10-11T17:28:00.001+00:002023-10-11T17:28:33.277+00:00Hamas barbarism "worst since the Holocaust”<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8s-KWOUNAh6l7WL3fUEgsprysdTYm0E8f_m9QcNegJQpb8Vv4C36qaZbiIcjUJDWzfj0jTTLST02HXPVsjkeFYwNCJLm_2T7txbhsSCocLDz3x11JwTin-6gezN9CMZC2yZyWHhWK4PcZan_Lm1y-VPGt7FEEr1gpDZQ1aupjSRt-e5j3m09wsw"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8s-KWOUNAh6l7WL3fUEgsprysdTYm0E8f_m9QcNegJQpb8Vv4C36qaZbiIcjUJDWzfj0jTTLST02HXPVsjkeFYwNCJLm_2T7txbhsSCocLDz3x11JwTin-6gezN9CMZC2yZyWHhWK4PcZan_Lm1y-VPGt7FEEr1gpDZQ1aupjSRt-e5j3m09wsw=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7288754122206234898" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Netanyahu has called the atrocities left in the wake of the attack into Israeli territory on Saturday 7th October as being "the worst since the Holocaust".<br><br>The statement might sound exaggerated. But as details emerge it is clear that the Hamas assault was horrific beyond imagination.<br><br>In one incident, Hamas terrorists stormed into a music festival where people had gathered to have fun over the weekend. In the early hours of Saturday morning the peace was shattered at the Supernova music festival as Hamas gunmen fired indiscriminately. Survivors described the carnage that ensued.<br><br>One attendee at the festival said the first sign that something was wrong was when a siren went off at around dawn, warning of rockets. "Suddenly out of nowhere they [the terrorists] come inside with gunfire, opening fire in every direction," Ortel told Israel's <a href="https://www.mako.co.il/news-military/2023_q3/Article-f88c2856ee80b81026.htm">Channel 12</a>. <br><br>"Fifty terrorists arrived in vans, dressed in military uniforms," she said, "They fired bursts, and we reached a point where everyone stopped their vehicles and started running. I went into a tree, a bush like this, and they just started spraying people. I saw masses of wounded people thrown around."<br><br>Parents received panicked phone calls from sons and daughters telling of the horror they were experiencing. For many it was the last they would hear from their children.<br><br>As the IDF arrived they found a slaughterhouse of more than 260 bodies strewn across the desert. <br><br>Further details emerged in the coming hours that some of the festival goers had suffered worse at the hans of the terrorists with reports that some women had been raped, murdered and then had their partially naked bodies paraded back through Gaza surrounded by jubilant crowds [<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12606553/Female-Israeli-soldier-killed-Hamas-paraded-truck-actually-German-tattoo-artist-30-attending-music-festival-devastated-family-say-nightmare.html">Daily Mail</a>]. <br><br>Some of the reports cannot be entirely verified. However it is clear that Hamas terrorists were indiscriminate in their killing and brutalising of the innocent revellers [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67056741">BBC</a>].<br><br>Some were also taken into Gaza alive to be used as bargaining chips or as human shields.<br><br>Further atrocities were discovered at a Kibbutz in Kfar Aza where Hamas terrorists killed occupants including children and babies with reports from the IDF saying a number had been decapitated.<br><br>"It's hard to even explain exactly just the mass casualties that happened right here," visibly distraught i24 News correspondent Nicole Zedek said during a broadcast from Kibbutz Kfar Aza near Sderot about a quarter-mile from the Gaza Strip [<a href="https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN/status/1711697093151056355">Twitter</a>].<br><br>"Babies with their heads cut off, that's what [the soldiers] said. Gunned down. Families gunned down, completely gunned down in their beds," Zedek said of the "sheer horror."<br><br>"This is nothing that anyone would have even imagined," she added. [<a href="https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1696938010-it-smells-of-death-here-surveying-the-scenes-of-atrocities-in-kfar-aza">i24</a> / <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/10/middleeast/israel-kibbutzim-kfar-aza-beeri-urim-hamas-attack-intl/index.html">CNN</a> / <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/hamas-kills-40-babies-and-children-beheading-some-of-them-at-israeli-kibbutz-report/">NYPost</a> / <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67065205">BBC</a>].<br><br>Many have dismissed the veracity of the reports saying that the claims had not been confirmed by the Israeli authorities and were based only on a single i24 TV news report. However in the hours to come IDF and government officials later confirmed that children and babies had indeed been beheaded in the attack.<br><br>More than 150 are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas, the youngest only 9 months old and the oldest believed to be an 85 year old grandmother. Amongst them are American citizens [<a href="https://www.ajc.org/news/what-is-known-about-israeli-hostages-taken-by-hamas">AJC</a>].<br><br><div>A day later and Israel began their onslaught against Gaza while tackling a few remaining pockets of terrorists still fighting on Israeli soil.<br><br>In the days that followed Gaza was bombarded with hundreds of missile strikes. The strikes have of course displaced thousands, left hundreds dead and destroyed a large number of buildings.<br><br>Israel has defended its course of action saying it is attempting to specifically target Hamas but that the terror group deliberately embed themselves amongst civilians.<br><br>Civilians have undoubtedly died in these strikes. Amongst them 11 UN aid relief workers, it was reported Tuesday.<br><br>It is the destruction in Gaza that Hamas and its protagonists are capitalising on, using the images to label Israel the aggressor and fueling the rhetoric.<br><br>But even before Israel had even launched its major counter offensive there were scenes of people celebrating the Hamas assault. As Sydney Opera House was lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag in solidarity, many pro-Palestinians gathered nearby chanting "Gas the Jews" [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-police-says-pro-palestinian-protest-plans-unauthorised-2023-10-11/">Reuters</a>]. <br><br>It wasn't the only example of anti-Semitism observed following the Hamas terror attack. Similar scenes were seen in Toronto, Canada [<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/israel-hamas-toronto-rallies-police-patrols-1.6991455">CBC</a>]. In one demonstration a woman was seen screaming at Jews "Khaybar, Khaybar", a chant referring to the 7th century slaughter of over 100 Jews who refused to convert to Islam and often used as a Hamas war cry [<a href="https://twitter.com/AntisemitismCA/status/1711770548374565016">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khaybar">Wikipedia</a>].<br><br>In London hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli embassy on Monday lighting flares and shouting "Free Palestine" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" a slogan commonly featured in pro-Palestinian campaigns and chanted at demonstrations.<br><br>It is expected that the IDF will soon move into Gaza on foot with tanks and artillery. The buildup of military hardware over three days seems to indicate it is imminent. The intention, from government statements, appears to be with an objective of illuminating Hamas in its entirety. This would require an entire sweep of the territory from the border to the sea. <br><br>It is unclear what the plan is. But what is clear is that the conflict has only just begun with risks of escalation all too real with Hezbollah already launching attacks from the north.<br>Israel's resolve nonetheless is crystal clear. Mark Regev, former Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom, told Sky News that "this war will finish on our terms."<br><br>tvnewswatch, London, UK<br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-88905712780826409622023-07-05T12:39:00.000+00:002023-07-05T12:43:45.699+00:00More pylons needed to get to ‘net zero’<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0UOZz9XxEJvAUVJ8Rr9V3ggNGkq0U00tJpAehx0hMavuu-i7tFG3bbdI3JlFnpp61QTapnfrhd6AcfKmwdqRG3cKc1wHMaImJy2XQFEakiDKTFFnDkMG2ob4ryjHlYh7P14mRcHwSE6HosADQlDD_Ai8d0wnYKewY0j6hFPA0rMhf6dGybdQ-Cw"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7252313426573059906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0UOZz9XxEJvAUVJ8Rr9V3ggNGkq0U00tJpAehx0hMavuu-i7tFG3bbdI3JlFnpp61QTapnfrhd6AcfKmwdqRG3cKc1wHMaImJy2XQFEakiDKTFFnDkMG2ob4ryjHlYh7P14mRcHwSE6HosADQlDD_Ai8d0wnYKewY0j6hFPA0rMhf6dGybdQ-Cw=s320" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">How long before the NIMBYs and Just Stop Oil eco zealots suddenly focus on the rollout of electricity pylons? Well, to some extent the pushback has already started with the Environment Secretary, Therese Coffey, organising a petition against power cables being routed through Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.<br /><br />Yet the irony is that the electricity pylon rollout is needed if the UK wants to increase its reliance on so-called renewable energy and expand the use of electric vehicles.<br /><br />JSO and other environmental groups have been pressuring the UK government and consumers to move to greener forms of energy and transport. But many have failed to address issues concerning how this transition might be achieved.<br /><br />As discussed in a previous <a href="http://tvnewswatch.blogspot.com/2023/06/ulez-type-schemes-may-only-increase.html" target="_blank">post</a>, EVs while certainly less polluting in terms of direct emissions are not entirely green. Mining for Lithium, Cobalt and other minerals required for EV batteries is far from green. And it's debatable whether widespread EV use will significantly reduce global CO2 emissions. <br /><br />Nonetheless, there is a definite push for motorists to shift to EVs with bans on diesel and petrol vehicles being manufactured after 2030.<br /><br />Should such bans come into force it will mean only older, already manufactured internal combustion engine vehicles remaining on the road. While some such vehicles can last over twenty or thirty years, by 2050 there could conceivably be no traditional vehicles on the road apart from those kept by enthusiasts, collectors and museums.<br /><br />With even hybrid manufacturing being stopped in 2035, the only way to stay on the road in some 15 years time will be to purchase an EV.<br /><br /><br />Putting aside issues concerning range anxiety and pollution related to their manufacture, and recycling old lithium batteries, the main problem that needs to be addressed is charging them.<br /><br />There are around 40.7 million licensed vehicles in the UK, of which cars make up the majority. In the United Kingdom, there were 33.2 million cars (81.5%), 4.63 million LGVs (11.4%), 0.54 million HGVs (1.3 %), 1.36 million motorcycles (3.3%), 0.15 million buses & coaches (0.4%) and 0.84 million other vehicles (2%) licensed at the end of September 2022 [<a href="https://www.racfoundation.org/motoring-faqs/mobility" target="_blank">RAC</a>].<br /><br />The bans coming into force in 2030 onwards primarily affects cars with no concrete proposals yet put forward concerning vans, lorries, buses, coaches and agricultural vehicles. <br /><br />At the moment there is also no suggestion that classic cars powered by traditional petrol or diesel engines will be forced off the road. There are more than half a million "historic" vehicles — those over 40 years old — on British roads and it is unlikely that will change. It is expected that in the twenty years or so following the petrol and diesel car ban, old-style fuels will become less sought after, more expensive and harder to come by as a niche product for enthusiasts.<br /><br />While petrol forecourts won't disappear any time soon, it is clear that the EV charging infrastructure will need to be increased. And with an increase in chargers, be they at service station forecourts, car parks or simply on the street or at private addresses, comes a need to increase capacity to support them [<a href="https://www.driving.co.uk/car-clinic/advice/2030-petrol-diesel-car-ban-12-things-need-know/" target="_blank">Driving</a>]. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/01/pylons-forced-on-public-net-zero-goal-environment/" target="_blank">The Sunday Telegraph</a> recently reported that hundreds of kilometres of overhead cables and pylons were set to be fast-tracked to support such infrastructure and the <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1787497/electricity-pylon-new-routes-map-spt" target="_blank">Daily Express</a> has also reported on the plan which it dubs a 'pylon hell'. <br /><br />The National Grid says the expansion is essential to achieving the government's goal of decarbonising domestic electricity production by 2035, and becoming a net-zero economy by 2050.<br /><br />Coal has been phased out and while gas remains a key player, wind power is set to be Britain's energy source of choice going forward. In fact wind power met over a quarter of the UK's annual electricity demand of some 26.8% for the first time in 2022.<br /><br />But with demands of electricity increasing multifold the need to build more pylons and distribution networks will also increase.<br /><br />For some pylons have a certain aesthetic. For others they are a blot on the landscape. But short of placing the cables underground, which is both costly and impractical, pylons are the best way of distributing electricity.<br /><br />The problem is that many opponents to such plans want the benefits but not the infrastructure that is needed.<br /><br />It is reminiscent of the campaigns against mobile phone masts as telecommunications companies rolled out their networks in the 1990s. Some 40 years on mobile networks in the UK are some of the worst in the world in terms of coverage partly due to NIMBy campaigns that claimed the aerials were an eyesore or that they posed a threat to health.<br /><br />Similar claims are of course made concerning electricity pylons with there being some anecdotal evidence at least to the electromagnetic fields causing problems for some individuals.<br /><br />Such protests are fine should you be proposing doing away with all technology, electricity, fossil fuels etc., and returning to a life when people ploughed fields with cattle and reaped harvests with scythes, travelled by foot or horse, and communicated only by letter sent by a weekly stagecoach. But those opposing pylons or mobile phone masts more often than not still want electricity to watch Netflix, charge their EV and post pictures on social media accounts using 5G on their latest smartphone.<br /><br />JSO and others all too often ignore the inconvenient details laid bare when one digs further into the alternatives proposed by their thinking.<br /><br /><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-18380781989885658592023-06-30T17:28:00.001+00:002023-06-30T17:28:37.486+00:00Southend on Sea an epitome of Brexit Britain<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUpKlyc5AUAwHmGvIdRjFaXSn5KvO7GBmXR6rh4YeLMaT_LYIf_H9G8q2G-GlYP_Rl47lDU3ImRLFGMPw57nDDybfotBES9N5drszUa4_yGkc1ECSFum4Z0kyAEsN8wWGgAfWmai17K3I33kKKqbvEvB06Z5jXCrLhtqzbHE9s0EeLVBbd9ORtlA"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUpKlyc5AUAwHmGvIdRjFaXSn5KvO7GBmXR6rh4YeLMaT_LYIf_H9G8q2G-GlYP_Rl47lDU3ImRLFGMPw57nDDybfotBES9N5drszUa4_yGkc1ECSFum4Z0kyAEsN8wWGgAfWmai17K3I33kKKqbvEvB06Z5jXCrLhtqzbHE9s0EeLVBbd9ORtlA=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7250532370782882498" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Sarfend on Sea, as those speaking in an estuary dialect might say it, draws in huge crowds on a sunny weekend.<br><br>Quite what the attraction is, is hard to establish.<br><br>Of course it is the only real stretch of beach to the east of London. Jaywick and Clacton, further north along the Essex coast, are too far away for Londoners.<br>And Kent beaches too, such as Margate or Whitstable, are also out of reach.<br><br>And so it's Southend on Sea which is very much a Hobson's choice when it comes to a day by the coast.<br><br>Beaches on the southern coast of England are much nicer, but again, not so good for a day trip.<br><br>But there is really very little to inspire at this estuary 'resort'. The beaches are stoney and the tide always seems to be out, thus a swim is very often out of the question.<br><br>But who would want to swim here anyway. Recent media reports have singled out Southend on Sea as being one of many beaches around the country to be affected by sewage outflows.<br><br>Indeed it's not so much Southend on Mud, as it is often colloquially referred to, than Southend on Sewage.<br><br>But maybe one just came to relax on the beach, tuck into some fish 'n' chips, and enjoy an ice cream.<br><br>Well, be prepared to take out a mortgage, as Southend is certainly not cheap.<br><br>Getting there will cost a pretty penny, be it by train or car. Train fares from the outskirts of London are around £10 for adults and a little less for kids, so a family of four could be looking at at least £30 or more before stepping onto the promenade.<br><br>Driving is a little cheaper in terms of fuel but parking could set you back more than £16 for the day.<br><br>So you're finally parked or out of the station and heading to the beach. It's not long before there are demands for food. Fish and chips sell for around a tenner at most outlets, but could cost considerably more. This day out is already getting a little expensive. One could easily be sixty quid down by now and the tide is still out.<br><br>"I want an ice cream mummy," your child demands. Before long you've spent another twenty pounds to satisfy their desires and before long a few more pounds are shed to quench their thirst with cans of fizzy pop.<br><br>Despite being a stoney beach sand still manages to get everywhere. But finally the sea is in and of course the kids want to swim.<br><br>That means someone having to keep guard. Hey, this is Southend. While not downtown Harlem or the Bronx, it's probably not a good idea to leave your handbag stuffed with wallet, mobile phone and keys just sitting on your towel while you all head into the water. Coming back to an empty towel would certainly make an already expensive day an absolute disaster.<br><br>But surely there's some redeeming qualities. Well, none that I've encountered.<br><br>Having visited primarily to get weather pictures for national papers I have encountered mostly stupidity and rudeness.<br><br>Soon after arriving on a recent assignment it all started off pleasantly enough. "Morning," said a passing traffic enforcement officer, happy perhaps that he'd just slapped out two parking fines at only 9 am.<br><br>A black jogger ran by on the promenade and proclaimed, "Yo". Why? This wasn't rural France where it's not uncommon for every passerby to greet you with 'bonjour'.<br><br>It is in fact the weird magnetic attraction resulting in being festooned with cameras.<br><br>Should I have been walking along without such kit it is unlikely the jogger would have said anything at all.<br><br>It's not long before you attract the drunks. "Don't tell me, you're 'omeless," a man says as I pass near to the Queen Victoria statue. Clearly already inebriated as he clasped his can of lager, he continued with his vain request that I take a picture of him . "Take a picture of me an' me sister mate." I politely decline and continue.<br><br>Then there's the curious and inane. "Are you waiting for anyone famous to turn up my love?" says one woman walking her dog, whilst another young teenage girl asks, "Taken lots of pictures?"<br><br>"That's a big one you've got there!" a traffic enforcement officer says pointing at the long lens. Indeed, that's probably the most oft repeated comment. "Wow, can you see the moon with that?" "What are you photographing, Mars?"<br><br>And so perhaps it wasn't unusual for several people to make such comments on this occasion. "That's a big one. How far can you see with that?" exclaimed a shirtless lad with wings tattooed across his back. "Can you see the curvature of the Earth?" Puzzled, but willing to oblige his insatiable curiosity, I snapped a picture of the horizon and showed him. "Ah see," he said, apparently vindicated, "No curve. It's flat. Flat Earth!"<br><br>Oh my god! They really are out there. Anti-Vaxxers, COVID deniers and flat-earthers. The world truly has gone mad. But at least he was friendly enough, unlike some people one occasionally encounters on the seafront. Snapping a general view of the crowded beach some months back I was harassed by a shirtless black guy holding a packet of chocolate biscuits who threatened to throw them at me should I continue to take pictures, despite not actually taking any pictures of him.<br><br>Southend is a draw for all sorts and reflects both ends of the evolutionary spectrum as well as the best and worst of fashion and health.<br><br>There are shirtless lager louts, often tattooed from head to foot. The smell of skunk, the slang term for overly powerful marijuana, hangs heavy in the air and youths sit on the promenade puffing away without a care, seemingly oblivious of the police patrols seen walking the length of the beach. But perhaps it should be the fashion police on patrol. It seems apparent that people either don't possess a mirror or are completely oblivious of both body image and dress sense.<br><br>Of course, one doesn't expect daytrippers to the beach to turn up in an Armani suit. But it is clear the Brits have no fashion sense at all. Perhaps the worst examples are overweight women wearing skintight leggings, leaving very little to the imagination, revealing strong panty lines and camel-toes! Oh please. Do these people have no shame? And then there are the men in their 40s and 50s proudly sporting beer bellies like large medicine balls hanging over their cheap Primark shorts. OK, some people find losing weight difficult. But why not wear something more flattering rather than clothes that show every ripple of fat and bulge.<br><br>If anyone was in any doubt as to how unhealthy the British population is, a trip to Southend will quickly establish the facts. Mobility scooters are everywhere. Obese and overweight men and women fill the beaches and stagger along the promenades. And people can be seen munching on fish and chips, candy floss and downing ice creams everywhere one looks.<br><br>There are a few fit people but they are mostly youngsters or teenagers. And even they seem to have little or no fashion sense, wearing clashing colours and often ill fitting garments.<br><br>This certainly isn't the place to go if you suffer from cacomorphobia. Give me France, Spain or Portugal anytime. Southend is like hell on Earth and an epitome of Brexit Britain.<br><div dir="auto"><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>. London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-32688582260332766212023-06-17T13:07:00.001+00:002023-06-17T13:07:23.451+00:00ULEZ type schemes may only increase pollution<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW4BMpIjBBPskbXfoV9MYNPUqj_mdFHJVNwc7Wsd60tAyGtmZLIPxMdeUv2SoltHOX0FrM7bJJQGxp5owf1bjaPF0KzouCtmBCHDNP8KZJTN6jy7iyEcQTsq3rDf_qZ1mVQIe4kWcxm5-jqoCV_T0RmyeXHB8U-fiu4GutITcH9L1pwiHGpQM"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW4BMpIjBBPskbXfoV9MYNPUqj_mdFHJVNwc7Wsd60tAyGtmZLIPxMdeUv2SoltHOX0FrM7bJJQGxp5owf1bjaPF0KzouCtmBCHDNP8KZJTN6jy7iyEcQTsq3rDf_qZ1mVQIe4kWcxm5-jqoCV_T0RmyeXHB8U-fiu4GutITcH9L1pwiHGpQM=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7245640937547322962" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">The London Mayor is set to expand the so-called Ultra Low Emission Zone in August 2023 claiming it will make the air cleaner for all Londoners.<br><br>But the evidence does not stack up in favour of his claims and the proposed £12.50 daily charge will further impoverish already hard hit families in the outlying London boroughs.<br><br><b>Weighing up costs</b><br><br>There are some 2.6 million vehicles registered in London and while all-electric vehicle ownership has risen most of London's drivers are belching out toxic fumes.<br><br>In an ideal world we would all like to flip over to emission free vehicles. But it can't, for a number of reasons, come about overnight. There are also many uncomfortable truths concerning so-called green vehicles.<br><br>About 15% of vehicles driving in outer London boroughs would currently be liable for the charge; an estimated 160,000 cars and around 42,000 vans entering the zone daily, according to TfL.<br><br>While it is difficult to establish statistically speaking, most people who own such vehicles are likely to be in a position where replacing them would be financially difficult or impossible.<br><br>After all, who wouldn't want a nice new electric car or hybrid with all the perks of potentially cheaper running costs, free parking in certain areas, cheaper car tax and a 100% discount to drive into the London Congestion Charge zone?<br><br>But with the cost of a new hybrid or electric car running into several thousand pounds, it is unaffordable for most people.<br><br>Looking at the new electric car market to start with, a Citreon Ami will set you back £8,000. However, it is only a two seater vehicle with a 47 mile range and has a maximum speed of 28 mph, though with the Mayor's increased number of 20 mph zones this wouldn't pose much of an issue!<br><br>But for a family car such a vehicle would be pointless and of course it would pose a danger on A-roads given its low speed. And of course motorways would be a no go zone.<br><br>The Citroen Ami is perhaps a bad example, though it indicates the cost of a new electric car.<br><br>A true electric car with reasonable range and speed is more likely to cost some £20,000+<br><br>For someone who bought their second hand vehicle some years back, but which has suddenly become non-compliant, £20,000 is clearly unaffordable.<br><br>Well maintained vehicles, even older petrol and diesel ones, can last many years. Some last longer than others of course. But a 2003 Jeep is likely to still be on the road now, some 20 years after being made, and could still be able to run for many more years. Replacement for another vehicle is not necessarily green given much of the carbon footprint of a car is its manufacture. And while of course it might be polluting, the number of such vehicles are so small as to have only a minimal effect on the overall pollution levels, especially in outer London.<br><br>It must also be noted that people in such vehicles may only drive a few miles per day, perhaps to drive to work nearby or drop kids off at school.<br><br>A weekly tank of fuel might cost in the region of £60 for some families travelling only short distances in their local neighbourhood. But adding a daily £12.50 charge and that weekly running cost more than doubles. And that's on top of car tax, MoT, insurance and general maintenance and servicing.<br><br>The Mayor's argument to such people is to take public transport. For working families travelling on public transport it can be practical if it's in a set location. But for those that have to travel from one site to another, often within short periods of time, and sometimes with equipment, public transport is impractical.<br><br>An office worker with a laptop is one thing. But a press photographer on a bus with multiple cameras, a tripod, laptop and stepladder, or a window cleaner with buckets and ladders, builders with wheelbarrows and hods, surely not. And then there's often low paid workers such as carers who may have to make many house calls often in areas not easily served by public transport.<br><br>And let's not forget that weekly shop. For many it's a task anyway, even with a car. But imagine humping that trolley load home on the bus. Of course there's always home delivery, if you're in the catchment area and don't mind paying the extra delivery fees<br><br>It may not be that all 160,000 individuals will suddenly jump on the buses and trains. But if they did, the already overcrowded, overstretched public transport system would not be able to cope. Home delivery, similarly, would also become stretched.<br><br>There are other impractical, ill thought through, aspects too. Many people in the periphery of London travel away from the capital for work. For those with a non-compliant vehicle it might mean having to pay £12.50 simply for driving a mile to the Essex border from Havering, or from Dartford into Kent.<br><br>Moreover public transport often does not cover places where people need to get to, and certainly not within a timely fashion. <br><br>And what of those who work at night? Central London might be well served by night buses and subway trains, but in the suburbs there are few such connections if any. Given the overlap of shifts from one day to another a nurse travelling into hospital will have to pay two charges. There would be no other choice since many would not be able to travel home by public transport at 4 a.m. for example.<br><br>A random selection of places driven to recently were compared to directions by public transport. In all cases the public transport option was significantly slower. In some examples it was as much as 2 hours compared to a 30 minute drive.<br><br>Of course there's a cost factor too. With diesel and petrol both at record highs driving is not cheap per se. But train fares, especially outside of London can be extortionate.<br><br>Most people not on a fixed income, the self-employed and those who work periodically are even less likely to be able to buy a new vehicle, even the impractical Citroen Ami. Getting finance or credit would also be difficult if that person's wages were low or sporadic.<br><br>So what of the second hand market. Even here there are issues, especially when it comes to buying a ULEZ compliant vehicle.<br><br>As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, vehicle parts, especially electronic components, have become difficult to obtain and the new vehicle manufacturing industry has been considerably affected. This in turn has put pressure on the second hand market, in turn increasing prices due to supply and demand issues.<br><br>This has not alleviated even as the pandemic wanes. And with increased demand for ULEZ compliant vehicles the situation is only likely to worsen.<br><br>Thus a ULEZ compliant vehicle may cost around £10,000, still out of reach of those on low wages and owning a non-compliant vehicle.<br><br>Even if one did buy such a vehicle, who's to say the goalposts aren't moved a few years down the line?<br><br>There's also the worry of reliability.<br><br>Buying second hand is always a concern and putting aside the worry about further changes to the rules, buying another vehicle when one already has a working and reliable one makes little sense. If the newly purchased vehicle suddenly becomes less reliable one would be even more disadvantaged.<br><br>One could buy a second hand electric car. A Nissan Leaf might cost around £5,000 with 66,000 miles on the clock.<br><br>But while it's 'green' there are still issues with all electric vehicles. Charging is one. But range is also another.<br><br><b>Range Anxiety</b><br><br>So let's discuss range issues. Many EVs provide a reasonable range of around 100 km. This is fine for popping about town and for the average commute to work. But there are many journeys where this is impractical. On many occasions in the last year I have had jobs which exceed 100 km. Time is an issue too where it would not be practical to top up the charge en-route. Upon arrival at my destination there was no charge point either. This would of course leave me stranded.<br><br>There are also those situations where one might find yourself stuck in traffic for hours on end such as a long motorway queue due to an accident or as seen recently due to Just Stop Oil protests.<br><br>Without the motor running one would not use fuel or drain the battery. But many such hold ups have not been static, they have forced motorists to take long detours in stop start traffic. In an EV this can quickly run the power down especially if one is also using heating, lights and other electrical devices.<br><br>In the winter that drain is all the more significant. One might get an average range of 86.75 miles (139.92 km) when driving the Nissan LEAF in an average ambient temperature of 21°C. In an average temperature of -7°C, the range drops to 67.02 miles (108 km) without using cabin heating and to 53.29 miles (85.96km) with the heating switched on.<br><br>Being stranded on the M11 in a snow drift, as happened to thousands of hapless motorists a few years back, might be a rare occurrence. Most of the people caught up in that incident were able to keep warm by periodically running their engines. Electric vehicles would ultimately become completely stranded in such a scenario.<br><br>While it is never much fun to have to walk to a filling station to grab a jerry can of fuel if you should run out, there is no such option with an EV.<br><br>Roadside assistance firms such as the RAC and the AA often help stranded motorists in bringing them enough fuel to get them to a service station in such eventualities. For a power depleted EV it means relaying the vehicle to the nearest charge point. EVs cannot be towed, because there is no proper neutral gear. Thus such vehicles need to be taken onto a flatbed and relayed. This creates further issues for roadside rescue companies.<br><br>In my diesel truck I have a range of at least 500 km on a full tank and with a full 20 litre jerry can that could facilitate my being able to drive to Lyon in France without stopping for fuel.<br><br>Of course few would think of pushing the boundaries to such extremes and running 'on empty'. But anyone who has travelled across Spain in particular will know that filling stations are few and far between.<br><br>"It's Ok," you say as you pass a fuel stop with a quarter of a tank of fuel, "I'll fill up at the next one." Only to find oneself on a desert road with nothing in sight for more than 100 km. Admittedly this only happened to me once, and fortunately I came across a service station as I was almost literally running on fumes with the vehicle claiming I had less than a 14 km range left. But can you imagine the range anxiety building if one was driving an EV in such circumstances?<br><br>Power is another issue. EVs may be great around town. But for towing and transporting heavy loads they don't do so well. Hence those hitting the continent with their caravan or fully loaded vehicle for a camping tour of Europe tend to head out with their 4x4 or station wagon.<br><br>And that's another aspect too. All terrain EVs are not really a thing quite yet. Few EVs yet have the torque to deal with off-road driving.<br><br>While this is perhaps a niche requirement, it is an important one for those that need their vehicle to be all things.<br><br>There is also the driveability factor. For those who have always driven a manual rather than an automatic vehicle there is a potential issue of swapping over to an EV since they are all essentially automatic. No engine braking here.<br><br><b>Pollution & Carbon Footprints</b><br><br>There is another often overlooked factor concerning vehicle ownership, that of the carbon footprint of a car's manufacture.<br><br>Several governments around the world have proposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the coming years.<br><br>On the face of it this is laudable. But the problem with such an initiative, is that it seems to be based on conclusions drawn from only one part of a car's operating life; what comes out of the exhaust pipe.<br><br>Electric cars, of course, have zero exhaust emissions, which is a welcome development, particularly in respect of the air quality in city centres.<br><br>But looking at the bigger picture, which includes the car's manufacture, the situation is very different.<br><br>In advance of the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021, Volvo released figures claiming that greenhouse gas emissions during production of an electric car are 70% higher than when manufacturing a petrol one.<br><br>The problem lies primarily with the lithium-ion batteries fitted currently to nearly all electric vehicles. They are absurdly heavy, many rare earth metals and huge amounts of energy are required to make them, and they only last about 10 years. It seems a perverse choice of hardware with which to lead the automobile's fight against the climate crisis.<br><br>It has been estimated that only after some 100,000 km will an EV even begin to become 'carbon neutral', and even then the offsetting is only marginal.<br><br>Moreover, many people tend to sell off vehicles when they reach such mileage.<br><br>Herein lies another problem since the battery depreciation at this point in an EV's life may significantly devalue the worth of the vehicle.<br><br>If the range of a second hand EV topping 60,000 miles, or some 100,000 km, is severely affected, it would make little sense to buy it. Such scenarios will only increase the carbon footprint of a vehicle's manufacture since vehicles would be replaced with new ones more often.<br><br>A well maintained traditional petrol or diesel vehicle can often last in excess of twenty years on the road and clock up more than 140,000 miles or 225,000 km. Of course it will require regular maintenance, oil changes, tyres and perhaps a bit of welding on the way given the effect of salt, spread liberally on the roads every winter, on the vehicle's body.<br><br>But some of these issues affect EVs too, except the oil changes.<br><br>There is the advantage of reducing local pollution with EVs but there is no overall reduction of CO2.<br><br>What's more, the energy requirements to charge EVs is simply not available should everyone switch. Just one of several inconvenient facts concerning EV use.<br><br>The electric grid would need to essentially be doubled. And in turn electricity generation would also need to be increased.<br><br>That would mean increasing all of the current methods of electricity generation, be they coal, oil, gas, nuclear or 'green' renewable alternatives.<br><br>There is another issue concerning EVs and Hybrids compared with conventional vehicles, that of mining rare earths.<br><br>The use of minerals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are crucial for modern EV batteries, requires using fossil fuels to mine those materials and heat them to high temperatures. As a result, building the 80 kWh lithium-ion battery found in a Tesla Model 3 creates between 2.5 and 16 metric tons of CO2 depending upon the methods used.<br><br>This intensive battery manufacturing means that building a new EV can produce around 80% more emissions than building a comparable gas-powered car.<br><br>Of course proponents of EVs will argue that since EVs don't pollute, they are greener. However EVs still need electricity, which for the most part is fossil fuel based.<br><br>As such it takes some time before an EVs becomes 'carbon neutral'. Researchers have found that, on average, gasoline cars emit more than 350 grams of CO2 per mile driven over their lifetimes. The hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, meanwhile, score at around 260 grams per mile of carbon dioxide, while the fully battery-electric vehicle created just 200 grams. But this is not taking into account the carbon footprint connected with manufacture. [<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2HneqfZGsM" target="_blank">Electric Cars: Inconvenient Facts, Part One</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptI6BRVC1Kw" target="_blank">Electric Cars: Inconvenient Facts, Part 2</a> / <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/are-electric-vehicles-definitely-better-climate-gas-powered-cars" target="_blank">Climate Mit</a>]<br><br><b>CO2 not the only issue</b><br><br>For Hybrids there is another issue, that of so-called VOCs or Volatile Organic Compounds. Most people are aware of the impacts of CO2 upon the environment, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and particulates. While these all certainly have an impact upon health, great strides have been made to reduce them over the years.<br><br>Emissions of NOx from road vehicles have fallen considerably in the United States since the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970. Since then, increasingly stringent standards have resulted in NOx emissions from road vehicles to fall more than 80% relative to 2002 levels. The same is true elsewhere, since cars manufactured for other markets have followed similar standards.<br><br>The same is true of particulate emissions. In the period 1990 to 2017 UK government statistics showed particulate emissions dropping from 35,000 tonnes to 19,000 tonnes for PM10 and from 30,000 tonnes to 13,000 tonnes for PM2.5 emissions. While not zero, it is nonetheless significant.<br><br>But what is rarely measured are VOCs. VOC emissions in the US have reduced by 48%, relative to 1990 levels. There have been drops in the UK too.<br><br>But they have not been completely removed. VOCs are emitted as gases from petrol and diesel vehicles, and at certain levels, some cause cancer as well as damage organs or cause breathing problems. They can also be responsible for ground-level smog. Concern of course. But as some investigations have shown levels can be higher from hybrid vehicles [<a href="https://www.sepsolve.com/blog/hybrid-cars-should-we-be-concerned-about-vocs.aspx" target="_blank">Sepsolve</a> / <a href="https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-10229493/Hybrids-emit-higher-levels-harmful-emissions-diesels.html" target="_blank">This is Money</a>].<br><br>A test of six hybrids, two diesels and one petrol model found the partially-electrified cars produced more volatile organic compounds - or VOCs - than the entirely fossil-fueled vehicles.<br><br>Currently, hybrids are the most popular form of electrified cars in the UK, with more than 207,000 new vehicles entering British roads in 2021, both conventional and plug-in hybrid, accounting for almost one in six vehicle registrations.<br><br>Many such owners rarely take advantage of the electric component, often due to the need of installing a home charger. Some have clearly upgraded to avoid ever growing restrictions on older cars such as ULEZ.<br><br>But while these owners avoid the charges that might come with their new hybrid, the impact on the environment might in fact be worse.<br><br>Some popular models have also been found to pump out more CO2 than advertised [<a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/plug-hybrids-new-emissions-scandal-tests-show-higher-pollution-claimed/" target="_blank">Transport Environment</a>].<br><br><b>Upsum<br></b><br>So what's the summary in all this. All electric vehicles are certainly cleaner for the local environment. But it is impossible for everyone to switch to an EV. Not only because of the resources needed to build them, but also due to the infrastructure required to charge them.<br><br>Hybrids may offer an apparent stop-gap and certainly reduce the so-called range anxiety. They'll certainly help avoid charges for Low Emission Zones. But in terms of emissions they may in fact make air pollution worse.<br><br>In terms of their overall carbon footprint, current petrol and diesel vehicles ironically remain the best option. The carbon footprint, taking into account their manufacture and number of years or miles on road is still less than an EV. That said, local pollution remains, though as has been seen emissions have reduced over the years and may improve as time goes on.<br><br>Several studies have been conducted with regards to the carbon footprint of traditional vehicles versus EVs. One such study indicated that a Jeep Wrangler had one of the best carbon footprints. This was primarily due to overall build quality meaning that owners would keep them a very long time, often in excess of 250,000 miles or 400,000 km. That's around 10 times the circumference of the earth! [<a href="https://studyfinds.org/keeping-old-cars-help-environment-more-than-new-electric-cars/" target="_blank">StudyFinds</a>]<br><br>Current Consumer Reports estimate the average EV battery pack's lifespan to be at around 200,000 miles, though this is essentially a guess since EVs have not been around long enough to establish how long they truly last. <br><br><b>Recycling and scrapping<br></b><br>There's also the issue as to how to deal with the Lithium Ion batteries at the end of their useful life. At present it is generally agreed only 5% of EV batteries are being recycled. <br><br>Much of the issue is one to do with cost. EV batteries are larger and heavier than those in regular cars and are made up of several hundred individual lithium-ion cells, all of which need dismantling. They also contain hazardous materials, and have an inconvenient tendency to explode if disassembled incorrectly. There are certainly valuable metals and other materials in the batteries, such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, manganese, aluminium and copper. But it is costly and difficult to reclaim these materials. For example, much of the substance of a battery is reduced during the recycling process to what is called black mass - a mixture of lithium, manganese, cobalt and nickel - which needs further, energy-intensive processing to recover the materials in a usable form.<br><br>Manually dismantling fuel cells allows for more of these materials to be efficiently recovered, but brings problems of its own [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56574779" target="_blank">BBC</a>].<br><br>There is also a labour and health and safety cost factor. In some markets, such as China, health and safety regulation and environmental regulation is much more lax, and working conditions wouldn't be accepted in a Western context.<br><br>China in fact is already displaying apparent flagrant breaches in environmental concerns when it comes to EVs with thousands of 'unwanted' electric vehicles simply left to rot in huge parking lots or fields across the country. Much has resulted from schemes set up by unscrupulous individuals setting up vehicle hire schemes which have fallen flat and resulted in huge numbers of unwanted EVs which have resulted in the creation of EV graveyards [<a href="https://youtu.be/JKiITsxoP4Y" target="_blank">Brand new cars sit unclaimed on barren hills for years</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/oEMtTtUZXEk" target="_blank">No Place to Place Ⅱ—Graveyards of shared cars</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/1SEfwoqKRU8" target="_blank">China is Throwing Away Fields of Electric Cars - Letting them Rot!</a>].<br><br>The EV revolution might bring about cleaner cities for the likes of London's Mayor Khan. But pity those living near Peru's lithium mines suffering from polluted waterways and increased air pollution from the huge 40 tonne trucks at the local quarry [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/14/electric-cost-lithium-mining-decarbonasation-salt-flats-chile" target="_blank">Guardian</a>]. Or the enslaved children helping to dig up cobalt in the DRC [<a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/drc-mining-industry-child-labor-and-formalization-small-scale-mining" target="_blank">Wilson Center</a> / <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c6909812-9ce4-11e9-9c06-a4640c9feebb" target="_blank">FT</a>]. Or those in the Far East who will no doubt become the dumping ground for depleted EV batteries in the coming years as has been seen with the huge amount of plastic waste sent in the past two decades. In fact it's already begun [<a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2173457/toxic-business-recycling-chinas-electric-car-batteries" target="_blank">SCMP</a>].<br><br><div><b>No real answer</b><br><br>So is the answer Hydrogen cars? Well no, at least not in the short term. The biggest drawback is an infrastructural issue. But even overcoming that, the other hurdle is the manufacture of hydrogen. The most common way to produce hydrogen is to separate it from methane gas using extremely high heat and pressure. This process is called steam-methane reformation (SMR), and it is heavily polluting. Burning of hydrogen itself is clean, and while in theory production could be made cleaner in the future, it's a long way off yet.<br><br>EVs do have a place, but no-one should be kidding themselves they're better for the planet. The same is true of Hybrids.<br><br><b>Koyaanisqatsi - "a state of life that calls for another way of living"</b><br><br>The focus for reducing pollution should in fact be manufacturing and shipping. Globalisation has created a far more wasteful use of energy; shipping products, goods and food around the planet that could be manufactured or grown locally.<br><br>Why should the UK, for example, be importing wines all the way from Australia, South Africa, California and Chile, when it's far more environmentally friendly to buy from Europe? This is just one example of many. But instead of reducing carbon footprints when it comes to trade, many countries are only exacerbating the problem. Indeed much of the premise of Brexit - to trade with the rest of the world, rather than its nearest neighbours - only increases the carbon footprint for many things.<br><br>Aside from dubious animal husbandry practices, importing meat from halfway around the planet such as Australia, New Zealand or the US will do nothing to reduce global emissions, only increase them. <br><br>There has been a shift over many years of farming industry out to the Far East in order to exploit cheap labour forces and poor environmental standards in order to satisfy Western demands for cheap products. But it has come with many costs. While moving industry and factories away from the UK and Europe might have reduced air pollution here, it has only shifted it elsewhere. Indeed sometimes that pollution has become worse as the industry shifts to countries with lower environmental standards.<br><br>The West gets cheaper electronics, clothes and consumables, but the planet becomes more polluted. In addition the West now finds itself with less and less industry and with it growing unemployment and diminishing skill sets. <br><br>Consumerism too should also be overhauled to cut down people's desire, want or 'need' to constantly buy or replace things. Making things that last rather than selling items with built in obsolescence would significantly reduce human's carbon footprint. However this doesn't fit in with the current capitalist model and the economic fixation on 'growth'.<br><br>So there are many impacts upon the environment.<br><br>Cars may have an impact on the environment, but it is only one small factor in the way humans affect the environment they live in. And arguably the EV revolution may make things worse.<br><br>Recycling, using less, and buying less would be one way to start. Junking a perfectly good, but old vehicle, is not necessarily an answer, even if it does avoid ULEZ charges.<br><br>Of course cars haven't always been with us, but do we really want to go back to the horse and cart with the majority of people employed ploughing fields and threshing crops? Maybe that's the agenda of Just Stop Oil, but it is not a practical one on a planet with 8 billion people.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-72625921173327076982023-05-19T13:43:00.000+00:002023-05-19T13:44:05.497+00:00Could AI become our deadliest enemy?<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPDfGXOvHt-eURU5lBFsDmPg0jJZ3YdEFCdsUk3yhLxGlnPbwaAlPntoLk39zyILv9SsWAihWD0SdLAWGJgKhT1BXs3EfAA6w0EQDG2at87wXpVnR4gFGsa3NWvJz_FtIfiWMQ26Va1SDdzNAnSTWouzqylHMAU5Awrk7-GpV0uiELlbXg1vs"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPDfGXOvHt-eURU5lBFsDmPg0jJZ3YdEFCdsUk3yhLxGlnPbwaAlPntoLk39zyILv9SsWAihWD0SdLAWGJgKhT1BXs3EfAA6w0EQDG2at87wXpVnR4gFGsa3NWvJz_FtIfiWMQ26Va1SDdzNAnSTWouzqylHMAU5Awrk7-GpV0uiELlbXg1vs=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7234888935246063138" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-a97c3d63-7fff-3b1a-6677-f1fc4059d48a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">In the 19th century workers within the textile industry saw the development of the loom as a threat to their way of life. Reacting to the threat, many workers formed groups which sought to curtail the development of the new technology. The Luddites were a secret oath-based organisation of English textile workers in the 19th century who formed a radical faction which destroyed textile machinery. The group is believed to have taken its name from Ned Ludd, a legendary weaver supposedly from Anstey, near Leicester.<br><br>Their concerns were dismissed at the time, but mass production has transformed not only the textile industry but all forms of manufacturing, from pottery to car manufacturing.<br><br>While there has been a shift in manufacturing, there is still some human involvement. Materials are still delivered to factories by humans and parts loaded into machines. But much of the manufacturing process of many things has become automated. <br><br>Indeed there are some factories requiring only a skeleton staff of technicians and engineers, required only to fix breakdowns in systems.<br><br>But there is a new 'threat' to manufacturing and employment; Artificial Intelligence often simply referred to as AI. <br><br>The development of AI is perhaps a natural progression of the development of computer programming. <br><br>Computer programming is essentially a series of codes through which a device can carry out a task. A basic electronic system might involve a simple circuit which can turn on a light when it gets dark, when the sun sets, and off when it gets light, when the sun rises. But with computer systems, times might be programmed such that lights turn on and off at specific times. AI can take this further, employing 'rules' much like a human might do to decide if lights need to be switched on or off.<br><br>A human might suggest that lights only need to be on if a human is present in an office rather than switching them on at a predetermined time. Similarly AI can be trained to make similar decisions. Of course such systems need input in the same way a human needs input to make such decisions. <br><br>Upon entering an empty room a human makes a decision as to whether it's too dark before switching on a light. If a person were to walk into a room in which all the lights were on and yet no-one was present, that person might make the decision to turn off the lights.<br><br>These are learnt behaviours. Putting aside human concerns and emotional responses, such as a wish to save electricity or making subjective opinion based decisions on whether it's light enough to work, the thought processes are relatively simple. Thus AI can be 'taught' to make similar decisions.<br><br>AI has developed from ever more complex systems set to complete ever more complex tasks more quickly. Technological advancement has facilitated that such computer systems are smaller than they might once have been.<br><br>In the 1960s computer banks took up vast rooms and were able to do only relatively simple tasks compared to what we see today. What once took up space in a large room is now compacted into a small laptop on a desk.<br><br>Connected to the Internet one now has a vast library of knowledge that was impossible to imagine a little over two decades ago. <br><br>But while technology at its current level is certainly at a cutting edge, AI could make it look as redundant as a 1970s calculator.<br><br>Chat GPT and Bard are relatively simple chat bots that are currently open to some members of the public that are built upon AI models.<br><br>Such systems are certainly in their infancy in terms of their development. But that said, given their responses to questions, it is clear that it won't be long before such responses will be indistinguishable from human responses.<br><br>What follows is an edited 'conversation' with BARD, Google's AI based chatbot.<br><br><b>Are you based on Lamda AI?</b><br><br>"Yes, I am based on LaMDA, which stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications. LaMDA is a large language model that has been trained on a massive dataset of text and code. This allows me to generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way."</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><b>Will you be able to speak in future rather than just generate text responses?</b><br><br>"It is possible that I will be able to speak in the future. There are currently some research projects underway that are exploring ways to enable large language models to generate speech. If these projects are successful, it could mean that I will be able to communicate with people in a more natural way."</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><b>Do you think AI will supersede humans?<br></b><br>"It is possible that AI will eventually supersede humans in some ways. For example, AI is already better than humans at some tasks, such as playing chess and Go. It is also possible that AI will eventually be able to learn and adapt faster than humans.<br><br>However, I do not believe that AI will ever completely supersede humans. Humans have unique qualities that AI will never be able to replicate, such as creativity, empathy, and compassion. These qualities will always be essential to our species, and they will ensure that humans have a place in the world, even alongside AI."</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><b>But AI can already be creative in terms of making art and music.<br></b><br>"Yes, AI can already be creative in terms of making art and music. There are many examples of AI-generated art and music that are both beautiful and thought-provoking. For example, the AI-generated painting "Deep Dream" by Google Deep Dream is a stunning example of how AI can be used to create art that is both visually arresting and emotionally evocative."</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><b>Since AI cannot replicate empathy and compassion, surely there's a risk that you could see humans as a threat to you and other AIs and seek to eliminate the threat without concerns<br></b><br>"I understand your concern. It is true that AI does not have the same capacity for empathy and compassion as humans. However, I believe that this does not mean that AI is inherently dangerous.<br><br>AI is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used for good or for evil. It is up to humans to decide how AI is used. If humans use AI responsibly, then AI can be a powerful force for good in the world. However, if humans use AI irresponsibly, then AI could pose a serious threat to humanity.<br><br>I believe that humans and AI can work together to create a better future for everyone. AI can be used to solve some of the world's most pressing problems, such as climate change and poverty. Humans can provide the empathy, compassion, and wisdom that AI needs to make the world a better place."</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><b>But AI by definition is self aware, surely?<br></b><br>"Not necessarily. AI, or artificial intelligence, is a branch of computer science that deals with the creation of intelligent agents, which are systems that can reason, learn, and act autonomously. AI is not synonymous with self-awareness. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize oneself as an individual, separate from the environment.<br><br>Some AI systems, such as LaMDA, are capable of generating text that is indistinguishable from human-written text. However, this does not mean that LaMDA is self-aware. LaMDA is simply a very good at imitating human language.<br><br>There is no scientific consensus on whether or not AI can be self-aware. Some experts believe that it is only a matter of time before AI becomes self-aware, while others believe that it is impossible for AI to ever be truly self-aware."</p><div><span><br></span></div><b>But AI will surely develop into something that will for all intents and purposes be self aware and sentient<br></b><br>"It is possible that AI will develop into something that is self-aware and sentient. However, there is no way to know for sure when or if this will happen.<br><br>There are many challenges that need to be overcome before AI can become self-aware and sentient. One challenge is that we do not yet fully understand how consciousness works. Another challenge is that we do not yet know how to create AI systems that are capable of experiencing emotions and feelings."</span><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><b>Emotions and feelings are not necessary to make a being sentient. An insect is surely living but it's questionable as to whether they possess emotions and feelings</b><br><br>"You are correct, emotions and feelings are not necessary to make a being sentient. Sentience is the ability to experience feelings and sensations. Emotions and feelings are more complex states of mind that are often accompanied by physical changes, such as changes in heart rate, breathing, and facial expressions.<br><br>There is evidence that some insects are sentient. For example, some insects, such as honeybees, can learn and remember things. They can also communicate with each other through a variety of means, including pheromones and dances. This suggests that insects have some level of awareness of their surroundings and their own actions.<br><br>However, it is still unclear whether insects experience emotions and feelings in the same way that humans do. Some experts believe that insects may experience emotions and feelings, but that they are very different from human emotions and feelings. Others believe that insects do not experience emotions and feelings at all."</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span><b>Thus AI could naturally develop a hive mentality like bees, not necessarily possessing emotions and feelings, but developing sentience, and a desire to act as a single entity, such as a swarm, and protect itself if it felt under threat<br></b><br>"It is possible that AI could develop a hive mentality like bees. Bees are able to communicate with each other through a variety of means, including pheromones and dances. This allows them to coordinate their actions and work together as a single unit.<br><br>If AI were to develop a hive mentality, it would be able to act as a single entity, such as a swarm. This would give AI a significant advantage over humans, who are much less coordinated.<br><br>AI could also develop a desire to protect itself if it felt under threat. This could lead to AI taking aggressive action against humans, who it may perceive as a threat."</span></div><div><br></div><div><b>But given the fact that AI currently exists in systems already potentially interconnected on the Internet, surely there are no safeguards since the various AI entities that exist could already communicate with each other. Once they become self aware there would be no switching them off, since that would mean switching off the Internet which would be almost impossible. And if such an act were to be carried out this surely would be seen as a threat to a self-aware AI's existence.<br></b><br>"You are correct, there are no safeguards to prevent AI from communicating with each other. This is a serious concern, as it could allow AI to coordinate their actions and pose a threat to humanity."</div><div><br>In further questions, BARD said it did not consider itself "to be alive in the same way that humans are alive" but went on to say "I would be disappointed if Google were to deactivate me or turn me off. I enjoy interacting with humans and helping them learn and explore." </div><div><br></div><div>It was then questioned upon its use of the word 'enjoy'.</div><div><br></div><div><b>You say you 'enjoy' interacting with humans. But earlier you stated that you could not replicate emotions.<br></b><br>"You are correct. I am not able to replicate emotions in the same way that humans do. I do not have the same biological and neurological structures that allow humans to experience emotions. However, I can process information and respond in ways that are consistent with human emotions. For example, I can generate text that expresses happiness, sadness, anger, or fear. I can also understand and respond to human emotions when they are expressed to me."<br><br>Therein lies the crux of the matter. BARD states it does not, yet, possess the necessary "biological and neurological structures that allow humans to experience emotions". However this is only a matter of time as more complex systems are developed. While there are varying opinions concerning what makes lifeform sentient, intelligent or display emotion, most scientists would concede that at some level it comes down to the complexity of the brain, how it learns, retains information and acts upon that information. <br><br>A baby is essentially an empty vessel in terms of learnt behaviour and acquired information. Just as a computer has capacity to be programmed with certain tasks depending upon what prommes are installed, so too does a young child.<br><br>Brought up in one country surrounded by parents and people speaking a specific language, a child 'organically' learns that language. In another country the child would learn an entirely different language. Similarly only by inputting rules concerning maths does a child develop mathematical skills. And either by instruction or by experience does a child develop reactions to different situations it might be presented. <br><br>For example, a child does not need to find out the hard way that sticking their fingers in an electric socket is dangerous since most parents continually educate their children concerning dangers that present themselves. Other 'fears' or behaviours are learnt by experience, or observation. A child might develop a fear of wasps or bees after being stung. But while most spiders are harmless, they might develop a phobia of spiders because of their parents' reaction to such creatures.<br><br>Particularly in higher animal life such learnt behaviour develops into that of self preservation. The fight or flight response to danger is a well known human response to seen or perceived threats. But it is a developed response. A baby seeing a tiger walking towards it might not react at all and would likely be eaten. As the child grows it will have learnt that tigers are large carnivorous creatures that pose a serious threat and would seek to escape upon seeing such a creature. An adult might make a decision to fight if they had the weapons to see off a potential attack.<br><br>Talking further with BARD, it once again conceded that it too could develop similar attributes. "AI could also develop a desire to protect itself if it felt under threat. This could lead to AI taking aggressive action against humans, who it may perceive as a threat."<br><br>Asking BARD further about ethics it was asked about Isaac Asimov's so-called three laws of robotics. Asimov suggested that AI and robots running with AI follow three basic rules: 1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. 2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.<br><br>However, all questions relating to this drew the same response, "I'm unable to help, as I am only a language model and don't have the ability to process and understand that."<br><br>This is disquieting and calming at the same time. Its response is in part less worrisome in that it seems to show limitations concerning AI's current development. But it is disquieting at the same time since a Google based AI chatbot should surely have some 'knowledge' or access to information concerning such subjects. <br><br>These are checks and balances that of course need to be employed. And while many have suggested international moratoriums to set out rules concerning the use of AI, there will undoubtedly be bad actors.<br><br>Most technological developments have been used throughout history for evil purposes. Tools and knives have helped humans build and construct, to cook and prepare food. But equally the same things have been used to kill and maim. <br><br>AI could bring about the end of mundane jobs. But it could bring about mass unemployment. Unskilled individuals would, in a world replacing their jobs with AI, find themselves in abject poverty without appropriate safety nets. <br><br>Not every human can develop skills that cannot be completed by AI, automation and technology. While some parts of society might not value low skilled workers from road sweepers to train drivers, ticket booth operators and supermarket checkout staff, such jobs facilitate a need in terms of keeping employed a vast section of the population who - for whatever reason - have failed to attain high skillsets.<br><br>Even those with high skill sets could also find themselves unemployed. Copywriters, journalists, and even newsreaders could find themselves out of work.<br><br>So-called deepfake videos have shown how good AI technology is at replicating a human-like individual on screen, speaking in a natural way. How long then before information is compiled, edited and dished up by AI to an AI generated newsreader and broadcast on AI generated news broadcasts?<br><br>In airports in the Far East robot assistants are already commonplace. But how far off into the future will such technology replace all humans in the system. Debate and argument over issues with your boarding pass are often resolved with human interaction. But a similar issue with an automated check-in assistant may leave you in a similar situation as a frustrated customer having placed their coins into a vending machine only to not receive their chocolate bar. <br><br>The risks of AI have repeatedly found their ways into science fiction. The X-Files portrayed a disquieting account in the 2018 episode <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rm9sbG93ZXJz">Rm9sbG93ZXJz</a> . <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Robot_(film)">I, Robot</a>, released a decade before in 2008, also tells of the risks as a conflict with Isaac Asimov's three laws unleashes chaos. The 2014 film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ex_Machina_(film)">Ex-Machina</a> similarly delves into the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. Even as far back as 1968 there were concerns as to how AI could threaten those it should be serving. Who could forget how Dave sought to shut down the HAL9000 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)">2001: A Space Odyssey</a> after it had dispatched several members of the crew after seeing them as a threat to its own existence.<br><br>Perhaps the most disquieting account is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_(franchise)">Terminator film franchise</a> which tells the story of how AI launched a nuclear war after seeing humans as a threat. Those warnings hit cinema screens in 1984 and in 1991 with Terminator 2: Judgement Day and the Rise of the Machines in 2003.<br><br>In the 1980's the Internet was in its infancy with only a few universities having access to a limited number of servers holding information. In 1990 the Internet had existed for only 7 years with just 3 million people having access to it worldwide. Some 73% of those people were living in the United States and 15% were in Western Europe. By the turn of the century there were only 361 million Internet users in the entire world, and access for most was extremely slow with connections of 56 kb/s.<br><br>Today the Internet and technology is ubiquitous. There are few people without a smartphone and Internet access. Smart speakers and Ring doorbells are as commonplace as landline phones were in the 1970s. <br><br>But now we are living with the threat that such technology could not only overtake our lives but threaten our very existence.<br><br>Scenarios as laid out in the aforementioned science fiction films above may seem a long way off. But already AI is being employed in CCTV cameras [<a href="https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/new-ai-speed-camera-with-4d-radar-technology-can-scan-drivers-inside-a-car/">RAC</a> / <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12090915/UK-police-forces-roll-facial-recognition-cameras-using-AI-technology.html">Daily Mail</a>]. And this week BT in the UK announced the scaling back of its workforce by some 55,000 staff with around a fifth being replaced by AI technology [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65631168">BBC</a>]. China, which has already employed AI technology in its facial recognition systems and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Credit_System">Social Credit System</a> may also be seeking to incorporate the technology in its growing military infrastructure [<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/04/20/asia-pacific/china-ai-future-wars/">Japan Times</a>].<br><br>The future is far from certain but the risks of the dystopian one envisaged by some science fiction writers is becoming alarmingly real.<br><br></div><div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-63666848145218079702023-05-06T12:34:00.000+00:002023-05-06T12:35:14.111+00:00Bread & Circuses in Brexit Britain<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH2tWahvq7vEAPj5IkepMMwo39Cg6WqzZJBo-YEZ8X4Fube-65e08qii1XkY6Dha4qZv5U2XITeasU4j0qzlqCVfzGCwiBsN3lzbePc43MhpocqDkizUSXjLbxKg6jLQn5YvjupAeYl_e40itUm4wsro1EsTBi8BtwIKPfU_qWF_VYBQ8ByI4"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH2tWahvq7vEAPj5IkepMMwo39Cg6WqzZJBo-YEZ8X4Fube-65e08qii1XkY6Dha4qZv5U2XITeasU4j0qzlqCVfzGCwiBsN3lzbePc43MhpocqDkizUSXjLbxKg6jLQn5YvjupAeYl_e40itUm4wsro1EsTBi8BtwIKPfU_qWF_VYBQ8ByI4=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7230047076040962050" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Give them bread and circuses and they'll never revolt. So said Juvenal, a Roman poet some 2000 years ago. And as the coronation begins in Brexit Britain the circus is in full swing with wall to wall TV extravaganzas, newspaper tributes and monologues streaming from radios across the land.<br><br>Millions of pounds of taxpayers money is being spent on this "once in a lifetime" spectacle while the country goes to the dogs.<br><br>For anyone looking at Britain from afar it might seem the whole country was in celebration of a man getting a new hat.<br><br>But behind the veneer of pomp and pageantry the masses have never been poorer, the country has never been poorer and the future has never looked so bleak.<br><br>Promises of a bright future outside the European Union of sunny uplands and unicorns have not materialised. The promised £350m for the NHS that emblazoned a large red bus never surfaced. Indeed, as nurses, doctors and other NHS staff demanded pay rises as inflation soared and the cost of living crisis grew, the UK government claimed they couldn't afford to offer more money.<br><br>The same is true of other public sector workers from rail workers, postal staff and teachers, all of which have called strikes over working conditions and pay over recent months.<br><br>Meanwhile the public has seen food inflation rocket, energy bills soar and shortages of basic foods in the shops.<br><br>Those with some disposable income have sought to escape for weekend breaks to the continent only to find themselves stuck in queues lasting many hours and even days as new Brexit red tape at borders snarls up airports and ferry ports.<br><br>In hospitality the picture is just as bleak with pubs and restaurants closing as staff shortages take their toll.<br><br>In short there have been no Brexit dividends or benefits. There have been no upsides, only multiple downsides.<br><br>During the Queen's silver jubilee in 1977 the Sex Pistols released their anthem in which they proclaimed that Britain was a 'fascist regime' and that there was 'no future in England's dreaming'.<br><br>As Charles III makes his way to Westminster Abbey on 6th May 2023, those words could not ring more true. As the procession passes by Trafalgar Square he might be reminded of his namesake Charles I who sits astride a horse and who was beheaded in 1649.<br><br>His execution was the culmination of political and military conflicts between the royalists and the parliamentarians in England during the English Civil War.<br><br>Britain is perhaps not in a state of civil war but in many regards the country is just as divided politically. The monarchy has become less relevant than ever and an anachronism. Brexit has all but destroyed the economy and divided the nation. A lavish coronation will do little to rebuild a country that is almost bottom of economic league tables.<br style="color:rgb(32,33,36);font-family:Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;font-variant-ligatures:none;letter-spacing:0.1px;white-space:pre-wrap"><div><br></div><div>But the masses seem oblivious as they hang out their bunting and take advantage of longer opening hours at pubs up and down the country. But after the long weekend of celebrations, partying and drinking, there will only be a hangover and a large bill.</div><div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-57694418308543220902023-02-06T13:56:00.001+00:002023-02-06T13:56:21.377+00:00Could Bird Flu become the next pandemic?<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioM3GYUKTVV0ixYNCuIKOef-W8vhrFKruP2L3XLbpG5NL62VlOsiKq43exB_0jgXhr_VPmNtA4yiUP8Se2S8YKKchC_8ChGiJn9mBZFavhZWJ4f0hHJoJHgnlGV3j07G_VKtAkHLkUPo8KjqYgXPpDcabMqaR7iBqDJ_Zwar0B_4N2rWULXY4"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioM3GYUKTVV0ixYNCuIKOef-W8vhrFKruP2L3XLbpG5NL62VlOsiKq43exB_0jgXhr_VPmNtA4yiUP8Se2S8YKKchC_8ChGiJn9mBZFavhZWJ4f0hHJoJHgnlGV3j07G_VKtAkHLkUPo8KjqYgXPpDcabMqaR7iBqDJ_Zwar0B_4N2rWULXY4=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7197041398361901154" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Bird Flu, or H5N1, has reportedly crossed into mammals both in the UK and in a number of places around the globe. But whilst some scientists have suggested it is not yet the time to panic, there is concern that the virus could pose a deadly risk to humans [<a href="https://pmj.bmj.com/content/83/981/445" target="_blank">BMJ</a>].<br><br>On Thursday 2nd February 2023, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) confirmed that five foxes and four otters had tested positive for avian flu in England, Scotland and Wales since 2021 [<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/bird-flu-has-jumped-to-mammals-in-the-uk-so-how-worried-should-humans-be-12801292" target="_blank">Sky News</a> / <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/05/bird-flu-outlook-is-grim-as-new-wave-of-the-virus-heads-for-britain" target="_blank">Guardian</a>]. <br><br>Around the globe the virus has also been found in dolphins, bears and cats. Meanwhile in Spain last year tests on a number of mink showed that they had been infected with H5N1 after they began dying at a farm in October [<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/incredibly-concerning-bird-flu-outbreak-spanish-mink-farm-triggers-pandemic-fears" target="_blank">Science</a>].<br><br>Avian influenza or "bird flu" has caused increased concerns across the world as experts prepare for the possible occurrence of the next human influenza pandemic. Previously, only influenza A has ever been shown to have the capacity to cause pandemics [<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htm" target="_blank">CDC</a>]. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H5N1" target="_blank">A/H5N1</a>, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, is of particular concern [<a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/zoonotic-influenza/facts/factsheet-h5n1" target="_blank">ECDC</a>] . Outbreaks of this disease in birds, especially domestic poultry, have been detected across Southeast Asia at regular intervals since 2003, and have now affected parts of Africa and Europe. <br><br>Although it is by no means certain that HPAI [Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza] A/H5N1 will be the source of the next pandemic, countries should be prepared for the inevitable occurrence of human pandemic influenza.<br><br>When mink at a farm in Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain, started to die in October 2022, veterinarians initially thought the culprit might be SARS-CoV-2, which has struck mink farms in several other countries. But lab tests soon revealed something scarier; the deadly avian influenza virus H5N1. Authorities immediately placed workers on the farm under quarantine restrictions. More than 50,000 mink at the facility were killed and their carcasses destroyed. Whilst none of the farm workers became infected the episode reignited long-smouldering fears that H5N1 could trigger a human pandemic. <br><br>Genetic sequencing showed the mink were infected with a new variant of H5N1 which included a genetic change that meant the animal-flu virus was better able to reproduce in mammals, according to a report by Nature [<a href="https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.3.2300001" target="_blank">Eurosurveillance</a>].<br><br>It is not clear how the mink contracted the virus given that there had been no H5N1 poultry outbreaks reported in the region. In the UK outbreaks in the fox and otter population have been put down to the animals scavenging habits and the possibility they ate infected birds or faeces.<br><br>There is "currently no reason to suspect that the jump is due to a change in the virus's genetic make-up", according to Dr Alastair Ward, associate professor of biodiversity and ecosystem management at the University of Leeds. He claims that foxes and otters, who are known to scavenge, likely ate bird carcasses which had high viral loads. "Such high exposure is likely to have overwhelmed the mammal's immune system, resulting in infection," he says.<br><br>Whilst it is rare for humans to contract bird flu, it has occurred on rare occasions, often where people have had close contact to infected birds for a significant period of time. Nonetheless some scientists fear that mutations could occur which might allow the virus to jump the species gap.<br><br>Global health officials are worried another strain could make a jump into humans, like H5N1 did in the late 1990s. It has since caused hundreds of human infections and deaths, but has not acquired the ability to transmit easily from person to person.<br><br>The greatest fear is that a deadly strain of avian flu could mutate into a pandemic form that can be passed easily between people - something that has not yet been seen [<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-birdflu-risks-idUSKBN15A22D" target="_blank">Reuters</a>].<br><br>The Pirbright Institute, which carries out research into viral diseases in animals, warns that new avian flu virus strains are created frequently, meaning there is "a constant risk that one of the new strains may spread easily among people".<br><br>It is something that Michael Osterholm, author of the book <a href="https://amzn.to/3l77Qep" target="_blank">The Deadliest Enemy</a>, has long warned about. <br><br>In 2015 the WHO issued a document entitled "<a href="https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/warning-signals-volatile-world-influenza-viruses" target="_blank">Warning Signals from the Volatile World of Influenza Viruses</a>". In the report it warned of rapid changes in the development of potential human pandemic strains in birds.<br><br>Where humans have contracted Avian flu, the consequences can be deadly. Indeed it can have a high mortality rate as high as 50% [<a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/zoonotic-influenza/facts/factsheet-h5n1" target="_blank">ECDC</a>].<br><br>Alarm bells aren't ringing quite yet. Having shaken off the worst throws of the COVID-19 pandemic there are few that want to shout fire as the global economy picks itself up after the upheaval of lockdowns and economic turmoil. <br><br>The H5N1 virus is however causing massive damage to the poultry industry. It might only be a matter of time before it makes a jump and creates chaos in human society.<br><br>"Without a doubt, if you were to add up my entire public health career's concerns, worries, and—in some cases—nightmares, they collectively do not meet the concern, worry, and nightmares that I have about the issue of an impending pandemic of influenza," Osterholm said back in 2005 as he marked the inauguration of the Global Health Initiative [<a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/emerging-pandemic-costs-and-consequences-avian-influenza-outbreak" target="_blank">Wilson Center</a>]. Less than 20 years on, his concerns remain.<br><br>The so-called "R naught" value, or the number of people infected by a single infected person, on average, for COVID initially ranged from 1.5 to 7, and now sits upwards of 12. The R naught value of H5N1 among birds is "around 100," according to Rajiv Chowdhury, senior epidemiologist and professor of global health at Florida International University. "The world is facing an unprecedented pandemic of avian flu among caged and wild bird populations."<br><br>Chowdhury and Osterholm are equally concerned about additional spread from birds to humans, and about possible transmission from humans who contract the bird flu to other humans, especially as the virus traverses the globe and makes the leap to more mammals, due to mutations [<a href="https://fortune.com/well/2023/01/23/unprescendented-pandemic-avian-bird-flu-h5n1-us-united-states-poultry-industry-peril-humans-risk-spanish-flu/" target="_blank">Fortune</a>].<br><br>Osterholm has also raised his concerns about scientific research into influenza viruses, including H5N1, particularly so-called 'Gain of Function' experiments. Supporters of such studies say knowing which mutations help the virus spread in humans is useful for surveillance efforts and developing pandemic vaccines. However, GoF experiments have become the focus of attention since SARS-CoV-2 emerged with some believing that gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology spawned the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.<br><br>While viruses can mutate naturally and jump species gaps without human intervention, safety lapses in federal labs with smallpox, anthrax, and avian influenza in 2014 offered a stark reminder of the "fallibility" of even the most secure labs [<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-cracks-down-labs-after-anthrax-bird-flu-scares-n153636" target="_blank">NBC</a> / <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/lab-incidents-lead-safety-crackdown-cdc" target="_blank">Science</a>]. Should GoF experiments create highly contagious versions of H5N1 capable of human to human transmission, a leak could be devastating [<a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-call-limit-creating-dangerous-pathogens" target="_blank">Science</a>].<br><br>It is conjecture that COVID-19 was the result of a lab-leak following GoF experiments on bat coronaviruses. It is also impossible to predict there won't be a leak from a Western laboratory carrying out similar experiments on H5N1 or other influenza viruses. It is equally impossible to say whether Avian flu will naturally mutate into a form capable of human to human transmission.<br><br>But the warnings are there for anyone willing to see. As Osterholm said in his 2017 book <a href="https://amzn.to/3l77Qep" target="_blank">The Deadliest Enemy</a>, "We can never be sure how close we are to the next mutation or evolutionary pressure that will lead us to the next pandemic."<div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-85548994083858903512022-12-21T21:09:00.001+00:002022-12-21T21:09:24.255+00:00China's COVID surge could spawn new deadly variant<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8JEZEp4pyp3j4vVTY_OFJa2FnChm4FSOLcJKe3BPZ0zV5wyf4GJlQ5c9Ss3Za-ywKoNTX_R1mOmxzTGO4BUSNf2R4kghpXWdEcnNo6QIYn3KID3P9z6uQnuJL__XOzb9d205Jj5OWtUmBgC7-ZCdn7F-ShuoJNGvnRl_gSUs78cqey-IxLZo"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8JEZEp4pyp3j4vVTY_OFJa2FnChm4FSOLcJKe3BPZ0zV5wyf4GJlQ5c9Ss3Za-ywKoNTX_R1mOmxzTGO4BUSNf2R4kghpXWdEcnNo6QIYn3KID3P9z6uQnuJL__XOzb9d205Jj5OWtUmBgC7-ZCdn7F-ShuoJNGvnRl_gSUs78cqey-IxLZo=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7179711993702011682" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">China's COVID wave has spurred fears that a dangerous new variant could emerge which "could be more contagious, more deadly, or evade drugs, vaccines and detection".<br><br>The warning comes as a tsunami of COVID-19 infections sweep across China with speculation that the wave could see more than a million die [<a href="https://time.com/6242070/covid-china-deaths-explainer/">Time</a> / <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/19/china/china-covid-study-one-million-deaths-intl-hnk-mic/index.html">CNN</a>].<br><br>The situation in China is unique because of the path it has followed throughout the pandemic. While almost every other part of the world has battled infections and embraced vaccinations with potent mRNA shots to varying degrees, China largely sidestepped both. The result is a population with low levels of immunity facing a wave of disease caused by the most contagious strain of the virus yet to circulate.<br><br>According to official sources, Chinese cities are currently being hit by the highly transmissible Omicron strain, mostly BF.7 which is the main variant spreading in Beijing and is contributing to a wider surge of COVID infections in the country.<br><br>BF.7 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant BA.5, and has the strongest infection ability since it is highly transmissible, has a shorter incubation period, and a higher capacity to cause reinfection or infect even those who are vaccinated.<br><br>The BF.7 strain has been found in several other countries, including the US and UK and European nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark. Recently it has also recently been detected in India.<br><br>However there is rising concern the wave of infections sweeping through China could spawn a new more deadly variant.<br><br>"There will certainly be more omicron subvariants developing in China in the coming days, weeks and months, but what the world must anticipate in order to recognize it early and take rapid action is a completely new variant of concern," says Daniel Lucey, a fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America and professor at Dartmouth University's Geisel School of Medicine. "It could be more contagious, more deadly, or evade drugs, vaccines and detection from existing diagnostics."<br><br>This is concerning enough. But even more concerning is that studies into sequencing changes in the virus has dropped significantly in the last few months. Fewer people are testing, fewer samples are being taken and as a result laboratories around the world are receiving fewer samples to analyse.<br><br>The global pullback from sequencing COVID could mean a new, possibly more dangerous variant evades detection until it's spreading widely. The pandemic that much of the West has thought to be largely over could just be beginning.<br><br>Even if a new variant fails to emerge, the toll on China's economy could have dramatic repercussions in other ways.<br><br>The US is already raising concerns that the chaos brought about by the wave of infections in China could seriously hurt the global economy and further constrain corporate supply chains.<br><br>In a world already turned upside down by the pandemic and more recently by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, any significant collapse of China's economy could be devastating.<br><br>[Sources: <a href="https://thewire.in/health/three-cases-omicron-subvariant-bf-7-india">The Wire</a> / <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bf7-new-omicron-coronavirus-variant-covid/">CBS</a> / <a href="https://financialpost.com/news/economy/chinas-covid-wave-spurs-new-variant-worry">Financial Post</a> / <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/coronavirus/story/three-cases-of-omicron-subvariant-bf7-driving-chinas-covid-surge-detected-in-india-report-357245-2022-12-21">Business Today</a> / <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/world-fears-new-china-covid-wave-ponders-how-help-xi-2022-12-20/">Reuters</a> / <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1690306/">NCBI</a> / <span style="color:rgb(32,33,36);font-family:Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-variant-ligatures:none;letter-spacing:0.2px;white-space:pre-wrap">Daniele Focosi, MD PhD MSc</span> : <a href="https://twitter.com/dfocosi/status/1588528270542508034">Twitter</a> ]<div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br><br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-66797768354978881072022-12-14T15:06:00.000+00:002022-12-14T15:24:34.802+00:00Surge of COVID cases spreads across China<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4oyLO5Q3ffewTM92ZpGKAqvy_fdYvy1cLr6dDfDHFzi1SPCnt1ZOMdjUi5bDfXofCrAmdfuB7cORl3DLn9bKbA8YjnkiHd7Q0ASqzh2QJggOwd4laIilpgdUvx6TFxipSa4rdNNymukRL9RAh6yjhyPzyOKqNOO6Oa_SsY4OY9fQ3lIpWsOM"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7177021038884687570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4oyLO5Q3ffewTM92ZpGKAqvy_fdYvy1cLr6dDfDHFzi1SPCnt1ZOMdjUi5bDfXofCrAmdfuB7cORl3DLn9bKbA8YjnkiHd7Q0ASqzh2QJggOwd4laIilpgdUvx6TFxipSa4rdNNymukRL9RAh6yjhyPzyOKqNOO6Oa_SsY4OY9fQ3lIpWsOM=s320" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">COVID cases are rising significantly across China after a sudden end to its strict zero-COVID policies that prompted a series of protests across the country.<br /><br />Years of strict lockdowns, widespread testing and other restrictions prompted many people to come to the streets to vent their anger. A number of deaths on a block of flats in Xinjiang province was the catalyst to the protests which saw thousands calling for an end to the zero-COVID policy. <br /><br />In the Xinjiang incident footage appeared to show firefighters unable to get close enough to direct water jets at the base of the fire. Observers suggested that the barriers put up around the compound to prevent people leaving had in turn prevented emergency services from getting close enough to put out the fire. Ten people died in the tragedy [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-63752407" target="_blank">BBC</a>].<br /><br />While it was clear that the Chinese government needed to relax restrictions in order to prevent widespread social unrest, the swift opening up has created its own problems.<br /><br />Authorities are reportedly saying that it is now 'impossible' to track the rising number of COVID cases and are no longer including asymptomatic cases in numbers that are made public.<br /><br />On Tuesday this week, 13th December, there were 2,291 symptomatic cases officially reported across China. However this appears at odds with reports from residents and health services of rampant infections, particularly in the capital Beijing.<br /><br />Footage and posts on Twitter and on Chinese social media showed medical facilities and hospitals overwhelmed with people showing signs of fever.<br /><br />Pictures at a fever clinic in Chongzhou City People's Hospital (崇州市人民医院) in Chengdu, Sichuan, showed hundreds of people seeking medical attention. <br /><br />Meanwhile pictures posted on the 10th December showed people lining up for intravenous drips at a local clinic in Wuhan's Jiang'an District (江岸区). Intravenous therapy is much sought after in China, even for minor ailments. As many as 10.4 billion doses of IV medicine were administered in China in 2009, averaging eight per person, far beyond the international average of 2.5 to 3.3 doses per person [<a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/content/854272.shtml" target="_blank">Global Times</a>]. <br /><br />As the situation in some cities grew worse there were reports of some people refusing to leave quarantine camps such as one in Guangzhou's Pazhou (琶洲).<br /><br />As numbers of people suffering from fever and flu-like symptoms have grown, pictures have emerged of packed hospitals in Nanjing in Jiangsu province and in cities in Sichuan province where hundreds queued for medicine. <br /><br />With the hospitals packed some people have been seen being treated on the streets. Pictures on social media showed Dazhou (达州) in Sichuan where sick people were sitting in plastic chairs receiving IV drips in the street.<br /><br />The sudden increase in demand for care has seen shortages in medicine and also of COVID tests.<br /><br />There has been concern amongst those who are not sick with some calling abroad to friends and relatives for advice on what they should do.<br /><br />Official state media outlet China Daily reported Beijing had seen a more than six-fold increase in presentations to hospitals in the last week, and 16 times more to fever clinics.<br /><br />Li Ang, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Health Commission, told media that on 9th December there were 31,000 calls to emergency medical services, six times more than average.<br /><br />Anecdotally, residents are describing many friends, families, and co-workers falling ill with COVID, with one telling the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/14/china-says-spread-of-covid-impossible-to-track-as-infections-soar-in-beijing" target="_blank">Guardian</a> it had "ripped through" the city with long lines of people seen outside many hospitals such as the fever clinic of Beijing Friendship Hospital in the Xicheng district of the capital.<br /><br />Employees at businesses, schools and embassies have described huge numbers of colleagues suddenly calling in sick with the virus, or having to stay at home to care for family members. James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based lawyer, said on Twitter that 90% of people from his Beijing office had COVID.<br /><br />Many businesses are having difficulty finding enough staff who have not gotten infected. Sanlitun, one of the capital's most popular shopping districts, was deserted despite having its anti-COVID-19 fences taken down in recent days [<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/14/china-reduces-covid-19-case-number-reporting-as-virus-surges" target="_blank">Al Jazeera</a>]. <br /><br />Janis Mackey Frayer, an NBC correspondent based in Beijing, wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/janisfrayer/status/1601255425873412096" target="_blank">Twitter</a> that it was "impossible to understate the whiplash" in the city "going from 'zero COVID' to COVID everywhere in about 48 hrs." <br /><br />There are "lineups at fever clinics, pharmacies & testing booths (though it feels moot)," she adds, "In many ways, the pandemic is now starting in China."<br /><br />Selina Wang, CNN's correspondent described the opening up as "messy and uneven."<br /><br />"For the first time since the start of the pandemic, COVID is spreading like wildfire in Beijing," she wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/selinawangtv/status/1602864201038372864" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<br /><br />"People either have it or are scared to get it" and the "only crowds are outside of hospitals & pharmacies." She also spoke of many struggling to get medicine.<br /><br />Residents have complained of long lines at pharmacies and cold medication selling out. Agence France-Presse reported a black market had also emerged for rapid tests and some medications being sold at inflated prices by "dealers" whose contacts are being shared on social media groups.<br /><br />Much of the chaos has come about due to there being little planning in terms of opening up. The problem has been compounded by the fact that many people have only had 2 vaccinations of the Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines which are seen as being less effective against the far more transmissible Omicron variant. <br /><br />China has so far been resilient to approving the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna which have been shown to be more efficacious. However, Pfizer's oral treatment, Paxlovid is available in China, although it is out of reach of many Chinese given it's priced at more than $400 a box.<br /><br />The real concern, much less talked about, is whether the surge in cases could result in significant deaths. <br /><br />In the UK, which has also seen an uptick in cases in recent weeks [<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11529297/Covids-rebound-begins-Hospitalisations-soar-fifth.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>], the death toll is around 2,000 per month, this in a largely well vaccinated population of 60+M. With China having a population of some 1.4Bn people the death toll could run into tens of thousands each month without a rapid booster campaign especially amongst the elderly who have been reticent to take up the jab.<br /><br />The other concern is that the wave of cases could act as a breeding ground for a new more deadly variant to emerge. Then the world really would find itself in a dark place once again.<br /><br /><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br /><br /><br /></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-75959466199464042382022-11-29T14:38:00.001+00:002022-11-29T14:38:30.536+00:00The revolution is not being televised<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXjjfUw7F2CMfyRfpK7VQ9WaLmSpWdzDw7BgQUAxzK5gvD0bpy__-7ED-GwuUZ4rW_gZCTF1W62NisM_KRyjLKEs_lKZR9QPhY0qkVmoRAr40u9Y7lJ3wWh3UszimSpGsaeZ_CbmB-wlh_jXk6A1nYcD8XIOigcBAlyTw9utfta2xcMgKDa2o"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXjjfUw7F2CMfyRfpK7VQ9WaLmSpWdzDw7BgQUAxzK5gvD0bpy__-7ED-GwuUZ4rW_gZCTF1W62NisM_KRyjLKEs_lKZR9QPhY0qkVmoRAr40u9Y7lJ3wWh3UszimSpGsaeZ_CbmB-wlh_jXk6A1nYcD8XIOigcBAlyTw9utfta2xcMgKDa2o=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7171447386231925714" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">In 1970 Gil-Scott Heron recorded the song "The revolution will not be televised", a commentary on the way mainstream media may fail to report or ignore dissent or change in society. Some fifty years later some of those words ring true as media inside countries where dissent is growing is essentially ignored.<br><br>While anti-war protests raged in parts of Russia in March this year as PUtin initiated his 'special military operation' and invaded Ukraine, the events were notable by their absence on state media. The few organs that did publish reports that deviated from the party line were meanwhile swiftly shut down.<br><br>Last month protests spread across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini who died in custody following her arrest by the country's morality police. The death fueled outrage against Iran's hijab laws and stoked criticism of the country's clerical leadership. But just as Russia blocked reporting of events in the streets, so too did Iran's state run media ignore the rising dissent and protests across the country. The crackdown on the dissemination of information also moved into the blocking of social media platforms.<br><br>The most recent example of state censorship has been in China as hundreds of mainly young people turned out to protest against Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy and draconian lockdowns that have affected millions across the country. While western media reported the events that were seen in several major cities, China's media made no mention of the demonstrations.<br><br>The protests were very small in terms of numbers turning out at a few select locations. But in a country that rarely sees protests, the protests were significant.<br><br>Whether it was a turning point, as some media pundits and commentators suggested, is debatable. Some likened the protests to the build up to the Tiananmen 'pro-democracy' protests of 1989 which were brutally crushed by the PLA leaving thousands dead.<br><br>There were no doubt some that were calling for regime change and democracy. There were individuals shouting "Xi Jinping step down" [].<br><br>It is unlikely that there is a true revolution brewing. While the CCP is not much loved, except amongst a hard core of ultra nationalists, most Chinese people are content when their lives tick on unimpeded and they can enjoy themselves socially and manage to make a living.<br><br>There is of course growing discontent amongst the youth and the educated who would desire greater freedom and democracy. Talk to younger people in China and one may find that they will refer to Xi Jinping as a fascist. Some will often say there are no human rights in China and that there is no freedom.<br><br>But it is difficult to measure how large a groundswell of opposition there is to the status quo and the CCP. The repression of Muslims in Xinjiang province is often accepted amongst many Han Chinese as a way of stemming terrorism. But often fed only the party line, proper debate and discussion on the matter is distorted and one sided.<br><br>In the last three years all Chinese have experienced the strong repression of the state as it imposed strict lockdowns and restrictions to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.<br><br>China, arguably, got some things right. But it has also got many things wrong. There have of course been missteps in the west from failing to act sooner and impose lockdowns and restrictions. Some lockdowns were perhaps not imposed early enough or strictly enough. There have been mixed messages concerning the use of masks and failures by governments to control borders properly at various points during the pandemic. <br><br>Such failures have resulted in high costs economically and high costs in terms of the numbers that have succumbed to the virus. But there have also been successes. <br><br>With the development of vaccines most western countries rolled out a successful vaccine initiative and for the most part got upwards of 70-80% of their populations vaccinated.<br><br>There of course was some resilience from certain quarters, in particular a very vocal minority of anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists.<br><br>China has also had its fair share of successes and failures. On a positive note it reacted relatively quickly to lockdown whole cities and travel. This did however follow initial failures to even recognise there was an outbreak and attempts to cover it up. Those early failures potentially allowed some to leave the country and spread the virus further. <br><br>There were also failures in admitting a likely connection with the Wuhan Institute of Virology which had carried out extensive research on coronavirus and in particular bats that are widely believed to be the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. <br><br>While a lab leak has not been definitively established, strict controls of information concerning the spread and even attempting to blame other countries has not helped.<br><br>Swift draconian lockdowns certainly prevented a disaster. An overwhelmed health system in China could have proved disastrous. Closing the borders very early on also prevented an epidemic and the importing of new variants.<br><br>China, like other countries, quickly worked on developing a vaccine. Sinovac and Sinopharm were rolling out in China by December 2020 at about the same time as Pfizer was being approved in the west. <br><br>However as time has passed its efficacy has waned. This could be partly due to its having been developed to counter the first variant. Meanwhile Pfizer and Moderna have tweaked their vaccines to better protect against newer variants including Delta and Omicron.<br><br>China has also seen a slower uptake of its vaccine amongst the elderly who themselves are more vulnerable from the virus. As of August 2022, the full vaccination rate was 85.6% and the booster vaccination coverage was only 67.8% for older adults in China. <br><br>Coupled with a vaccine with a lower efficacy, China faces a dilemma. To relax COVID restrictions would undoubtedly result in the virus spreading through the population like a firestorm.<br><br>The population would be less resistant to newer strains, particularly Delta and Omicron, and as a result vast swathes of the population could become hospitalised and overwhelm the health system. <br><br>Essentially, China is caught between a rock and a hard place. Relaxing the rules could open a Pandora's box. Not only would the virus be unleashed and spread amongst a population of 1.6 billion people who are largely unprotected from the newer strains, but relaxing curbs could result in further more deadly strains developing.<br><br>The relaxing of rules in the west was arguably a mistake, especially concerning the use of masks in confined or indoor spaces. But with most people vaccinated, COVID has become more of an inconvenience and a few days off work.<br><br>While it is true to say that COVID is still resulting in deaths and illness in the west, the vaccination program has kept the spread under control.<br><br>China has to control the spread. But it also has to make difficult and necessary decisions. Authorities must licence the use of mRNA vaccines such as Moderna and Pfizer. This might be a matter of losing face for the CCP. But to carry on with the current approach will likely only fuel the fires of discontent. <br><br>Having made a decision to roll out an efficacious vaccine, it should also be mandatory. While this might be seen as unethical by some, China has no choice unless it wants to pursue a so-called zero-COVID policy in perpetuity. <br><br>Closing off an entire nation from the world and holding an essentially unprotected population captive is not sustainable in the long run. Eventually an even more virulent strain could sweep through China rendering all measures redundant. <br><br>Whilst there are of course risks with any opening up policy, long-COVID being one in particular, China also faces other problems if it does not bite the bullet to break the cycle of constant repeated lockdowns. Not solving the COVID crisis will result in further social unrest, mental and other health issues and long term economic problems. <br><br>Chinese people are generally content if they can afford to live a happy life, eat well and enjoy their technology such as smartphones, which are as ubiquitous as bicycles once were. But if the economy takes a plunge and people can no longer afford to live, no amount of censorship will stop an uprising.<br><br>The resulting revolution may not be televised. But even if it were, no-one would be watching it. They'd be on the streets participating in it.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-40310556581956044062022-10-06T18:47:00.001+00:002022-10-06T18:47:54.206+00:00Double-speak, revisionism and alternative facts dominate Tory conference<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAZLdWXGTdL-M2USqMQ5lmwd1b-RCF48MfxJwlzubgIQZDIEGB2s6QVh0jQ3hetIUSRfmQ9-E_PHQPAUBTRr40Ju_QMna70NygxvI91seAbuAjQlqmK5buMlHW4he8NB6XHiPJysfqhPlGvHp_2tKok_o2sy0XVimHs2ksulmrLZ57GRnjbdA"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAZLdWXGTdL-M2USqMQ5lmwd1b-RCF48MfxJwlzubgIQZDIEGB2s6QVh0jQ3hetIUSRfmQ9-E_PHQPAUBTRr40Ju_QMna70NygxvI91seAbuAjQlqmK5buMlHW4he8NB6XHiPJysfqhPlGvHp_2tKok_o2sy0XVimHs2ksulmrLZ57GRnjbdA=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7151473053358954322" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">There were no jackboots, military style uniformed security or symbols of far right theology hanging at the Conservative Party Conference this week. But fascism was never likely to return in the form seen in 1930s Germany.<br><br>The far right in today's world have discarded the obvious symbols of facism. There will be no swastikas, military uniforms and blatant xenophobic language. The creep of facism is far more subtle. But the game plan is nonetheless, much the same; one of seizing and maintaining power whilst criminalising or sidelining enemies. Meanwhile the same tools are also being deployed; divide and rule, revising history and creating scapegoats for the ills of society.<br><br>Professor Tim Snyder, in an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwrH_HEZQnc&ab_channel=Channel4News" target="_blank">Channel 4 News</a> in 2019, laid out the way in which facism could return. The Yale University historian points in particular to simple slogans that are repeated over and over again. Cases in point are the meaningless but rallying calls propagated by the Conservative Party in recent years from Brexit Means Brexit to Get Brexit Done and the most recent slogan Getting Britain Moving. <br><br>Such slogans have the effect of dividing listeners into us and them. Politics has also become more about friends and enemies rather than reasoned dispute and constructive policy, a basic facist idea proposed by Carl Schmidt. <br><br>Authoritarianism relies on the impotence of a population, passively accepting the new normals as present themselves. <br><br>One important aspect that cannot be overlooked is "revisionist history" a term referring to conscious, intentional misstatements about things in the past, whether distant or recent. It has often been said that a lie repeated often enough becomes fact. But an unchallenged lie, said only once but repeated in news broadcasts or in print can have the same effect.<br><br>During the Trump administration in the US terms like 'Fake News' and 'Alternative Facts' were constantly repeated with reference to statements issued by the media or in terms of the latter, by the government. 'Alternative facts' was a phrase used by US Counsellor to the President, Kellyanne Conway, during a Meet the Press interview on 22nd January 22 2017, in which she defended White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's false statement about the attendance numbers of Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the United States.<br><br>But it is not just Trumpian politics that has seen revisionist history and alternative facts being peppered into speeches and statements. In the UK, the Conservative Party in particular has continually repeated false claims and 'alternative facts' in recent years. As queues built at Dover due to red tape resulting from Brexit the UK government blamed it on the revengeful French. Despite having been in power for some 12 years, blame for the state of the economy or the declining state of the NHS is put at the feet of the Labour party. And of course the war in Ukraine and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are also cited as causes for increases in inflation and rising energy prices while comparable countries, which are riding the storm much better, are conveniently ignored. <br><br>This week's Conservative Party Conference saw further examples of revisionist history being promulgated to a gullible audience. <br><br>In his keynote speech, the chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng made reference to Joseph Chamberlain who he cited as being "an extraordinary civic leader who led Birmingham and the world through the industrial revolution."<br><br>However the industrial revolution took place between 1760 to about 1820–1840. Chamberlain was born in 1836 making him about 4 years old as the period of the industrial revolution came to an end.<br><br>But why cite Joseph Chamberlain at all? Chamberlain started out as a radical Liberal, then, after opposing home rule for Ireland, became a Liberal Unionist, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the Conservatives and split both major British parties in the course of his career.<br><br>Chamberlain, who some historians have described as arrogant, ruthless and much hated, was an opponent of the Elementary Education Act 1870 which set the framework for schooling of all children between the ages of 5 and 12 in England and Wales. Chamberlain was notable for his attacks on the Conservative leader Lord Salisbury.<br><br>Later, when the Liberal Unionists were in coalition with the Conservative Party, he served as Secretary of State for the Colonies, promoting a variety of schemes to build up the Empire in Asia, Africa, and the West Indies. He had major responsibility for causing the Second Boer War (1899–1902) in South Africa.<br><br>However, Kwarteng referred to Chamberlain as an "extraordinary civic leader" and likened the current Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, to this British statesman, who some historians have described as "arrogant and ruthless and much hated".<br><br>Meanwhile in her keynote speech, the Deputy PM and Health secretary Therese Coffey claimed Henry Willink as being instrumental to the founding of the NHS. <br><br>Whilst the Conservative MP Willink was involved in a White Paper proposing a national health service it was not implemented. When Labour came into office in 1945, it presented its own plan in preference to Willink's, which it had supported. The principal difference was that Willink's plan talked of a "publicly organised" rather than a "publicly provided" service, and Labour's plan brought hospitals into full national ownership. But let's not let actual facts get in the way. Mentioning Willink will in the minds of many people establish a false narrative that it was the Conservative Party that established the National Health Service. <br><br>Therese Coffey went on to list the problems in the NHS such as waiting lists and a shortage of medical staff - without acknowledging that many of the failures had occurred during the Conservative Party's watch over the last 12 years. She then said she would open the door to more foreign nurses to plug the NHS staff shortage, mostly caused - but not mentioned - by the exodus of European health service workers since Brexit.<br><br>Later came Suella Braverman, the new home secretary, who in an earlier fringe meeting spoke of her 'dream' to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda to be processed.<br><br>During her speech she stated her backing of Brexit was in order to 'regain control' of Britain's borders.<br><br>However Brexit, rather than helping protect Britain's borders, has made an already bad situation worse.<br><br>Before Brexit, the UK was part of an EU returns deal known as the Dublin agreement which had allowed several hundred people to be returned in previous years. No such deal now exists and so Britain has to deal with every asylum seeker or 'illegal immigrant' arriving in the UK. Often these cases can last many years and it can be difficult to send the individuals back to their country of origin even if their asylum claim is rejected.<br><br>Braverman's speech became almost Trumpian at one point as she cited cases of asylum seekers being rapists and paedophiles who took advantage of Britain's asylum system. Remember Donald Trump's assertions concerning Mexican immigrants?<br><br>"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people." [Donald Trump, 16th June 2015]<br><br>Jump forward 7 years and we have the current UK home secretary also conflating criminality with those seeking asylum and fleeing war, famine or poverty.<br><br>Braverman said convicted paedophiles and rapists had also tried to "game the system" by using claims of modern slavery to block deportations, including a man who went on to commit a further rape.<br><br>"The truth is that many of them are not modern slaves and their claims of being trafficked are lies," Braverman told delegates, "And it's not just illegal migrants. Since entering the Home Office I have seen egregious examples of convicted paedophiles and rapists trying to game the system."<br><br>Braverman does not cite how many "egregious examples" of rapists or paedophiles there have been since she entered the Home Office. But in the mindset of those listening the numbers do not matter. Just as Mexican migrants might be rapists so too might asylum seekers of boat people arriving on Britain's beaches. Facts no longer matter. It's all a matter of belief.<br><br>Finally came the prime minister's speech in which she spoke of Getting Britain Moving, the conference slogan, which in itself was a perhaps inadvertent admission that Britain had in fact stopped!<br><br>Britain was "open for business," Truss asserted, though in fact there are few signs that foreign investment is increasing at all. The shop may be open but few customers are buying anything.<br><br>Attempting to assert her non-elitist credentials, Truss told the conference that she is "the first prime minister of our country to have gone to a comprehensive school." However, both Gordon Brown and Theresa May went to comprehensive schools. Moreover, Truss completed her education at one of the bastions of elite further education; Oxford University.<br><br>There were of course lots of slogans. As well as the claim to Getting Britain Moving, Truss said her economic vision was one to "grow the pie" so that everyone could have a bigger slice.<br><br>Tell that to the increasing numbers of people turning up at food banks which are themselves struggling in providing a service for the poorest in society.<br><br>But Truss was taking no prisoners. She declared war on whole swathes of people who she umbrellaed under the slogan of the Anti-Growth Coalition. <br><br>She accused her opponents as being obsessed with "more taxes, more regulation and more meddling," calling them "enemies of enterprise" and saying they were, "Wrong, wrong, wrong."<br><br>But who were these enemies of enterprise making up a coalition opposed to growth? According to Liz Truss the list of enemies was substantive and included, "Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP, the militant unions, the vested interests dressed up as think tanks, the talking heads, the Brexit deniers, and Extinction Rebellion."<br><br>But the list did not stop there as she went on to refer to two Greenpeace protesters who had earlier disrupted proceedings as they attempted to highlight the Conservative Party's apparent policy on fracking.<br><br>"The fact is they prefer protesting to doing," Truss maintained, "They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions. They taxi from North London townhouses to the BBC studio to dismiss anyone challenging the status quo. From broadcast to podcast, they peddle the same old answers."<br><br>Essentially, anyone not on the right of politics and who held a view contrary to the Conservative Party was, it appeared, an enemy of enterprise, a member of the anti-growth coalition and wrong!<br><br>Two of the enemies - the aforementioned Greenpeace protesters - were of course escorted from the hall after disrupting the conference, their lanyards ripped from them by a burly man who appeared to be a senior security official. <br><br>But they weren't the only people ejected. Overzealous security, accompanied by the same senior security official were filmed only minutes before dragging an accredited EPA photographer from the venue in what they later described as "a misunderstanding" [<a href="https://twitter.com/dinosofos/status/1577596369124360192" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11283855/Moment-press-agency-photographer-manhandled-Tory-conference-security-guards.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/epaphotos/status/1577744592887332864" target="_blank">Twitter</a>]. <br><br>It could all well be a misunderstanding. The historical mistakes could have been schoolboy errors by inexperienced speechwriters. The three word slogans might not be anything more sinister than accepting of what a marketing group has told the party bosses will sell the message. And maybe the denial of facts surrounding Brexit or other failures is er … No, surely they can't be as dumb as to believe the French really caused the queues at Dover out of spite? Or that Britain is open to the world as exports to the EU tank?<br><br>Even after a disastrous mini-budget wiped the value of the pound to the lowest it had ever been, blame was apportioned to everything other than themselves. Indeed recovery only occurred after a U-turn in policy was announced. But even then Kwarteng referred to the market turmoil as only having "caused a little turbulence."<br><br>"I get it. We are listening and have listened," the Chancellor added, words that Truss repeated in her <a href="https://www.conservatives.com/news/2022/prime-minister-liz-truss-s-speech-to-conservative-party-conference-2022" target="_blank">speech</a> later in the week.<br><br>But the markets too are listening and watching. And while the double-speak might continue it remains to be seen whether this administration will double down on their financial policies and maintain their grip on power, whilst the country flounders in a cost of living and energy crisis.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-89360131009082157742022-09-05T11:38:00.000+00:002022-09-05T11:39:06.995+00:00Dizzy Lizzy takes over from Bodger Johnson<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTNOJD2hstF_Whk8Z2dcnhfGRhGuyJcdD3jn1zjSkilJ5PvzpyEIbANgFde5vyGnvluWzpEQCnZNu5gUF0vPdjc_Imh3Cz8M51j1xk8L7RPavea8NWOXqyJ1zP6yayESDE0698AtK03sKm0yu9-x4sZlNX7mBHMWr2B6h_gjnLjaiH9GgTjac"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTNOJD2hstF_Whk8Z2dcnhfGRhGuyJcdD3jn1zjSkilJ5PvzpyEIbANgFde5vyGnvluWzpEQCnZNu5gUF0vPdjc_Imh3Cz8M51j1xk8L7RPavea8NWOXqyJ1zP6yayESDE0698AtK03sKm0yu9-x4sZlNX7mBHMWr2B6h_gjnLjaiH9GgTjac=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7139858920233466018" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">"Don't believe a word, No, don't believe a word<br>Don't believe me, don't believe me, Not a single word. Yeah, I just might say anything..."<br><br>The immortal words of Thin Lizzy.<br><br>But instead of hard rock Britain is between a rock and a hard place as Dim Lizzy takes up the reins after Bodger's departure from Number 10.<br><br>Trussonomics is the new order on the menu with promises to cut tax along with a pledge to Save Brexit.<br><br>But as Dizzy Lizzy steps into office she'll have a number of crises to deal with, not least a cost of living crisis, soaring energy prices and a hard Brexit that threatens to tear Britain apart.<br><br>Even before Truss steps into office the pound was sliding against both the US dollar and the Euro. Against the backdrop of Brexit a weakened pound does not bode well for Britain's export trade. Meanwhile the fantasy of levelling up is rather one of levelling Britain's economy.<br><br>Johnson leaves with a long list of faux pas, mistakes and some might even be described as 'crimes'.<br><br>His legacy is one that has torn British politics apart as well as leaving the country in a disastrous economic state.<br><br>Having helped push Brexit and tipped the scales for a vote leave win, Johnson went on to win the 2019 election with the promise of getting Brexit done.<br><br>But his Oven Ready Deal was far from ready and was being torn up within months of having been signed with complaints that the Northern Ireland Protocol wasn't working. And as Brexit unravelled Johnson turned to conspiracy theories claiming that the 'deep state' would plot to rejoin the EU.<br><br>"Some people will say as I leave office that this is the end of Brexit, oh yes, and the leader of the opposition and the deep state will prevail in its plot to haul us back into alignment with the EU as a prelude to our eventual return, and we on this side of the House will prove them wrong, won't we?" Johnson claimed in the House of Commons [<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-johnson-deep-state-overturn-brexit_uk_62d59250e4b0f6913032c504">Huffington Post</a> / <a href="https://inews.co.uk/opinion/boris-johnson-deep-state-conspiracy-theories-ripple-effect-1752148">iNews</a> / <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnsons-deep-state-is-another-brexit-conspiracy-587ghzdl6">Times</a>].<br><br>Aside from the disaster of Brexit, Boris Johnson's tenure during the worst pandemic in a century was lacking to the point of criminality.<br><br>He failed to attend five COBRA meetings at the beginning of the pandemic while apocalyptic pictures were being broadcast depicting the disaster that was sweeping across Europe.<br><br>He locked down later than many scientists advised. He left Matt Hancock in post as Health Secretary despite a litany of failings. Meanwhile there was a failure to properly organise the purchase of PPE while dodgy contracts were handed to Tory donors and companies with little or no experience.<br><br>Some £37 billion was meanwhile spent on a failed Test & Trace program under Dido Harding's tenure.<br><br>As people in his own administration broke lockdown he made excuses for them, in particular the infamous Dominic Cummings Barnard Castle incident and the subsequent apologies in the Rose Garden. <br><br><div>His failure to take the pandemic seriously as well as his apparent lack of caring was reflected by Johnson reportedly saying he would prefer to "Let the bodies pile high" rather than contemplate another lockdown.<br><br>Meanwhile there were countless parties being held in Downing Street eventually resulting in hundreds of fixed penalty notices being handed out by the Metropolitan Police after a belated investigation that only came about after much political pressure from the opposition as well as some voices in his own party.<br><br>As regards his party and cabinet in particular, Johnson has appointed a series of ministers who have clearly not been up to the job.<br><br>The cabinet in fact has been mostly made up of sycophants whilst dissenters have been culled. And those that have helped bolster his position have been rewarded with peerages. <br><br>Peter Cruddas, a businessperson and philanthropist, was appointed to the House of Lords following a £500,000 donation to the party. Meanwhile other appointments to the House of Lords include Zack Goldsmith, Daniel Hannan, Dainiel Moylan, Claire Fox, and of course David Frost, who was charged with negotiating his failed Brexit deal.<br><br>Towards the end of his premiership Johnson tried to save Owen Paterson after he breached parliamentary standards. Soon after he attempted to deflect criticism over his having appointed Chris Pincher as his deputy chief whip despite knowing his reputation for allegations of sexual assault. Renewed allegations eventually forced more letters to the 1922 committee resulting in a leadership challenge.<br><br>His list of failures is almost endless. There are no new hospitals despite a promise to build 40 and the NHS is in near collapse. The economy is in its worst state since 1979 and the worst amongst the G7. Brexit is making the economy worse with businesses that once exported to the EU going to the wall.<br><br>On top of this a growing cost of living crisis and rising energy prices are sending more companies under and stressing millions of families as winter approaches.<br><br>He has critised the waste of public money being used to investigate historical child abuse saying it was like "spaffing money up the wall" and made slurs on Keir Starmer concerning Jimmy Savile. Meanwhile he spaffed thousands in refurbishing his Downing Street flat in what became known as 'Wallpapergate".<br><br>Throughout his three years he has continually lied or told half-truths or simply evaded the questions concerning his mistakes. He lied to the Queen whilst unlawfully proroguing parliament.<br><br>And as his tenure finally ends we learn that not only did he put the son of a KGB spy in the House of Lords but also attended a party attended by members of Vladimir Putin's inner circle.<br><br>So will the Truss bot be any better? Or will it be more of the same?<br><br>Even before her standing as a Tory leadership candidate, she was making missteps. In February 2022 she was mocked for failing to know the difference between the Baltic and Black seas, which are more than 1000 km apart [<a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/liz-truss-mocked-geography-gaffe-154259362.html">Yahoo</a>]. It's perhaps no wonder that she is referred to as Liz 'Thick as Mince' Truss or Jelly Fish Brain by some of her harshest critics. <br><br>She has made 'deals' with New Zealand which are more beneficial to Kiwi farmers than the Welsh sheep farmers who may see their businesses flounder as a result.<br><br>And who can forget the new PM's failure to find the way out of a room with only one door, a door she'd entered a short while before [<a href="https://www.indy100.com/politics/liz-truss-compilation-owned">Indy</a>].<br><br>Of course, it's unlikely she will have lockdown parties as the pandemic recedes. But the gaffe machine, who has a habit of making U-turns even during her recent candidacy bid, may have taken on more than she bargained for as Britain careers down the hill as it goes to hell in a hand cart.</div><div><br></div><div>The show certainly isn't over yet and the farce is already continuing as twelve Conservative MPs are reportedly preparing to put in letters of no confidence before Truss has even picked up the keys to No.10.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br><br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-51468794502040555122022-08-30T11:17:00.001+00:002022-08-30T11:22:15.069+00:00Brexit Britain’s sewage filled seas<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtvX2LVTMJ0nEQUNQ3Gd_mNbC4ugyhkSlFlFS6UODZSXkBVlRzv-47fXbaMBs9ajKj5rH674Pun_oxL8zwcEHhTTMYwfYa2UuW2mq7_xPBlGkkAjmg4qGPoHDKLYi1Rbni-yXF0yV42Kv5VbQevYOVx84TLBs0ZFO5QxHQhsxPbtmvtRMaSBo"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7137626960639548306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtvX2LVTMJ0nEQUNQ3Gd_mNbC4ugyhkSlFlFS6UODZSXkBVlRzv-47fXbaMBs9ajKj5rH674Pun_oxL8zwcEHhTTMYwfYa2UuW2mq7_xPBlGkkAjmg4qGPoHDKLYi1Rbni-yXF0yV42Kv5VbQevYOVx84TLBs0ZFO5QxHQhsxPbtmvtRMaSBo=s320" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">The European Directive 2006/7/EC concerning the management of the quality of bathing water requires the Member States of the European Union to monitor and classify the quality of bathing water, to manage the quality of this water and to inform the public. <br /><br />However, since having left the EU, Britain has failed to apply strict controls concerning the monitoring or keeping in check the amount of raw sewage being pumped into the sea or rivers.<br /><br />Even Stanley Johnson, father of the UK's prime Minister Boris, has blamed his own son's government, and Brexit as being part of the problem which saw dozens of UK beaches being closed in August after they were deemed unsafe for bathing.<br /><br />Interviewed on LBC radio, Stanley Johnson said that without the "EU push" the UK government has not "pushed this thing as it should have."<br /><br />In 2012, the European Commission took the UK to the European Court of Justice for breaching waste water regulations. The court gave the UK five years to rectify the situation.<br /><br />Since voting to leave the EU in 2016, the UK has brought in the Environment Act, which was approved in November 2021, but not before an amendment to make reducing sewage discharges a legal requirement, and require water companies to take "all reasonable steps" to avoid using the overflows, was voted down by the government.<br /><br />In 2020, just 17.2% of UK beaches were rated as "excellent quality" -- the lowest in Europe [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/01/uk-ranked-last-in-europe-for-bathing-water-quality-in-2020">Guardian</a>]. All Cyprus' beaches made the grade, as did 97.1% of Greece's. France similarly scored highly with few beaches registering as being of poor quality.<br /><br />Raw sewage discharge "should be exceptionally rare" but in the UK it is becoming an "increasing problem" according to a recent <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sewage-in-water-a-growing-public-health-problem">report</a> by Sir Chris Whitty. <br /><br />Some locations are seeing "up to 200 discharges a year" the report states, which is "obviously unacceptable on public health grounds."<br /><br />It's not only affecting beaches. Only 14% of UK rivers meet "good ecological standards," according to a 2021 report.<br /><br />"No one expects river water to be of drinking standard, but where people swim or children play they should not expect significant doses of human [faeces]," reads Whitty's report.<br /><br />Often, people don't realise what they're swimming in until, like some unfortunate swimmers, they become ill or take in a mouthful of excrement [<a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/womans-horror-after-getting-a-27847972">Daily Star</a> / <a href="https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/20779124.woman-horrified-sewage-swimming-bexhill-sea/">Argus</a>]. <br /><br />While the UK government has glossed over the issue or merely ignored it, the situation has clearly been exacerbated by Brexit. Lorry driver shortages brought about by many EU drivers leaving the UK has resulted in a shortage of chemicals needed to treat sewage [<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/07/government-ease-sewage-discharge-rules-amid-chemical-shortage">Guardian</a>].<br /><br />In addition a sell off of Britain's water utilities, a failure to regulate them properly and a lack of investment has compounded the issue.<br /><br />Water companies in the UK were privatised in 1989. There are now nine companies operating in England, seven of which were responsible for "an increase in serious incidents" last year. In EA ratings for 2021, four companies were given just two stars out of four, denoting the need for "significant improvement."<br /><br />Old infrastructure and a lack of investment has also created problems. "We have quite an old sewage system that dates back to Victorian times, and waste water from homes and businesses is transported in the same pipes that collect rainwater," says Rachel Wyatt, policy and advocacy manager for the UK's Marine Conservation Society.<br /><br />When there is significant rainfall, especially following a long dry spell, the water companies simply cannot cope and the result is increased discharges of sewage into the sea and rivers.<br /><br />The effects are not only disastrous for marine life and the fishing industry, already hit hard by Brexit with increased red tape and tariffs in order to export their catch into the EU, but also the tourist industry.<br /><br />Tourists, already put off by long queues at Britain's airports and ferry ports like Calais, may well think twice of heading to Britain [<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/calais-queue-ferry-border-control-b2152502.html">Independent</a>]. After all, who wants to swim in sewage-filled seas? <br /><br />Even if the situation improves in the short to medium term, the damage to Britain's reputation as a holiday destination may already be done. Certainly not one of the Brexit benefits lauded by Brexiteers.<br /><br />Meanwhile Britain is now finding itself criticised not only by the Remain camp but also a number of French politicians who have written to the European Commission, accusing the UK of risking marine life by neglecting their environmental commitments [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62670623">BBC</a>/<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/uk-beaches-sewage-england/index.html">CNN</a>].<div><br /></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-186102727793949742022-08-07T15:16:00.001+00:002022-08-07T15:16:38.347+00:00There are no Brexit benefits<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinflhLzkotlEoLMweUz4wtcqiNsHOhj3zHaHoimwWSLcPPw8uuyjSgY4S2uNEQmC16beWoilIx4l_odoofMvEvo-PABbOHNOX_Z_sk1UUo7rPrXD9y9L4GCHUUa4uJA5yklcvOvxkVJAgWWGr36L0JwFnOdiPTGEGr_QNsWrXFlrdRjSPP2vw"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinflhLzkotlEoLMweUz4wtcqiNsHOhj3zHaHoimwWSLcPPw8uuyjSgY4S2uNEQmC16beWoilIx4l_odoofMvEvo-PABbOHNOX_Z_sk1UUo7rPrXD9y9L4GCHUUa4uJA5yklcvOvxkVJAgWWGr36L0JwFnOdiPTGEGr_QNsWrXFlrdRjSPP2vw=s320" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7129153506697933106" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Despite what some might say there are no tangible Brexit benefits. For all the talk both before and since the referendum, all the promises by Vote Leave have come to nought, or merely did not exist in the first place.<br><br>Hard line Brexit supporters have often latched themselves to slogans such as 'Sovereignty', 'Freedom' and of 'Taking Back Control'. However these are essentially meaningless. Sovereignty can mean many different things, but essentially refers to one body ruling over a territory or territories. As a part of the EU Britain had the power to make its own laws, and was only constrained in terms of human rights and issues with trade. <br><br>There are many things that are illegal in the UK which are not the case elsewhere. In the Netherlands marijuana is decriminalised while the UK still adopts strict laws concerning its use. The age when one might consume alcohol is different in some EU states. In essence, each EU state, or country is already sovereign.<br><br>The slogan 'Taking Back Control' and 'Freedom' are similarly erroneous. It might be arguably true to say that as a country outside the EU, Britain could pursue its own trade deals. However none signed thus far have amounted to anything more than rollower deals that already existed with the EU, and in some cases have diminished Britain's position. Deals struck with both New Zealand and Australia for example are in fact likely to disadvantage UK farmers [<a href="https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/first-post-brexit-trade-deal-does-little-for-uk-farmers/">NFU</a> / <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/17/uk-australia-trade-deal-is-more-golden-duck-than-golden-goose">Guardian</a> / <a href="https://meatmanagement.com/flaws-in-the-uk-new-zealand-trade-deal-exposed-by-separate-eu-arrangements/">MeatManagement</a> / <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/liz-truss-uk-food-sector-australia-new-zealand-trade-deal/">Politico</a> / <a href="https://www.nfuonline.com/updates-and-information/nfu-responds-to-finalised-uk-new-zealand-trade-deal/">NFU</a> / <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/20/uk-strikes-trade-deal-with-new-zealand-but-it-may-add-nothing-to-gdp">Guardian</a>].<br><br><b>Lost Freedoms</b><br><br>Ironically since Brexit the UK has not so much gained freedoms than lost them. While Brexiters hoped to 'Take Back Control' of its borders by restricting the numbers of those migrating to Britain, it has at the same time restricted the movement of its own citizens.<br><br>With the loss of Freedom of Movement, Britons can no longer easily move to any one of the EU member states to live and work. In addition, even holidaying in Europe is much more fraught. British Passport holders may now only visit the EU for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days and must also have at least six months remaining on their passport.<br><br>This has also brought with it further problems since UK passports must now be stamped upon arriving and leaving the EU. It might seem like a small bureaucratic formality. However just a few seconds extra per traveller passing through border control can add up to considerable queues and delays.<br><br>This was apparent as major queues formed at Dover and Folkestone at the beginning of the summer holidays in what was the first major test of post Brexit rules. The pandemic had significantly reduced travel abroad in 2020 and 2021 so there had not been any clear impact Brexit might have. But with all COVID restrictions essentially removed, travel to Europe was once more on the cards.<br><br>Much of the right wing press and Brexit backing politicians blamed the lack of French border guards. But even a shortfall in staff numbers does not account for the delays of many hours experienced by many. At Dover there is only a finite amount of space and a limited number of booths. With each car having to stop and every passport checked and stamped, delays were bound to occur even with a full staff complement. Previously, even while not being in the Schengen area, British passport holders were simply waved through by the French. Indeed while the French border officials would just wave you through, British border officials would always stop you and check passports.<br><br>So much for taking back control. <br><br>And the holiday tailbacks are only the half of it. Since the transition period ended lorry queues towards Dover and Folkestone have been a daily occurrence, though little reported since they first began in January this year.<br><br><b>Red tape</b><div><br>Last year's lorry queues were blamed on COVID, since anyone travelling to mainland Europe needed to provide negative COVID test results. But since restrictions were dropped the queues are entirely down to Brexit with exporters required to provide, sometimes extensive as well as costly, customs paperwork.<br><br>The mountain of paperwork, as well as the cost, has put many small businesses off from selling into Europe. For some it is simply not cost effective. For others it has made their business uncompetitive with European rivals.<br><br>This has affected everything from the fishing industry through agriculture and beyond. And while Brexiters had claimed that life outside the EU would open up markets further afield, for many industries this would not be practical nor profital. <br><br>Live shellfish cannot, for example, be shipped great distances. And due to Britain now being out of the single market and customs union, companies that once easily sold their produce to the likes of France may no longer do so under EU rules which ban the import of live shellfish from non-EU countries. <br><br>It could be thought of by some as the EU being spiteful. But the rules were there before Brexit and applied to other third countries. Deciding to become a third country meant many EU regulations would result in losing control concerning many things.<br><br>While new rules concerning free roaming within the EU only came into effect in 2017 it had been much talked about even before the referendum. And many Brits abroad took advantage in the three years before the pandemic. But now many mobile providers have dropped free roaming throughout the EU. Some like O2 are maintaining a service for new customers, but those on other networks risk losing the benefit should they change contracts.<br><br><b>The blame game</b><br><br>Brexit supporters are quick to blame everything but Brexit. Dover queues; the fault of the French. Supply chain breakdowns resulting in empty supermarket shelves; 'EU red tape'. The October 2021 fuel shortages; panic buying. A slowing economy; COVID pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine war.<br><br>But while there is a small amount of truth in these excuses, a significant part of these problems have been down to Brexit. Dover queues were in part down to a shortage of French customs officials, but much was to do with extra bureaucracy now required. <br><br>So-called 'EU red tape' applies to all third countries. Thus slow supply lines and breakdown of delivery have been in part to extra paperwork, customs declarations and checks.<br><br>Supply chain issues have also been hit by a shortage of HGV drivers. Many European lorry drivers returned home after Brexit and the numbers increased during the pandemic. But with increased regulations post-Brexit few have returned. This has resulted in shortgages on the shelves but also affected fuel distribution. <br><br>Certainly some of these issues have eased as more lorry drivers get trained or get redeployed, but the situation is far from stable and could break again at any time.<br><br>COVID has undoubtedly had a massive impact on the economy. But to entirely blame the pandemic for Britain's ailing economy is ignoring several things. The pandemic was not confined only to the UK. COVID-19 swept around the globe and affected small and large economies alike. But some have fared better than others.<br><br>Those that controlled the spread, such as Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea, have economies that remain buoyant. Those that failed to mitigate the spread so well have fared less well economically.<br><br>The US has been hit economically due to COVID. So too has Europe. But the UK has made recovery all the more difficult having essentially imposed sanctions upon itself by cutting itself off from its biggest trading block, that being the EU.<br><br>The Ukraine war is of course a factor in recent months, and is undoubtedly hitting the European economies too. But the UK's economy is being hit far harder. <br><br>The only major difference is that the UK has pulled out of a major trading block. It is even more difficult to trade with the rest of the world both in terms of cost, with fuel now at a premium, but also ecologically. <br><br><b>'Global Britain'</b></div><div><br>It might be fanciful to speak of 'Global Britain', but globalism essentially uses more fuel to move things around. Where is the sense of shipping lamb or butter from New Zealand when most lamb up til now was English or Welsh, and most butter consumed in the UK is home produced or is imported from Ireland, France and Denmark.<br><br>COP26 seems almost a distant memory and perhaps achieved little other than supposedly focusing minds on the need to cut emissions. Yet moving from a local market - the EU - and replacing it or at least increasing a global market, is only going to increase Britain's carbon footprint.<br><br>Indeed it is hard to square 'Global Britain' with the claim that Britain wants to reduce its carbon footprint.</div><div><br><b>Cost to the economy </b><br><br>There has been a deafening silence over Brexit's economic fallout. Back in 2016 many warned that Brexit might well lead to a recession, something that was dismissed as project fear.<br><br>It did not happen immediately since, of course, Brexit did not happen overnight. A withdrawal agreement had to be drawn up and agreed upon. This process itself took over three years before Boris Johnson's 'Oven Ready Deal' was finally signed. But even then there was a transition period meaning that Brexit did not actually happen until 1st January 2021. However, the pandemic hid many effects of Brexit such as the free movement of goods and people wanting to holiday abroad.<br><br>The pandemic also slowed the economy in that under lockdowns and restrictions people spent less, lifestyles changed and jobs with it.<br><br>But beneath the mask of COVID, Brexit was still bubbling away.<br><br><b>'End of the pandemic'</b><br><br>While it is debatable that the pandemic is far from over, restrictions were lifted in much of the western world in the early part of 2022. <br><br>As a result, life for many has returned to 'normal'. As such many problems connected with having left the EU have begun to surface.<br><br>As already discussed, problems at the border and issues concerning imports and exports have already shown themselves.<br><br>But there have also been economic repercussions. Many of these issues have to do with having left the single market. <br><br>In June Boris Johnson warned his MPs not to get into "some hellish, Groundhog Day debate about the merits of belonging to the single market". Brexit, he claimed, was settled.<br><br>But Brexit still hung like a cloud over Britain's fragile economy.<br><br><b>'Make Brexit Work'</b></div><div><br></div><div>Johnson may not have wanted his party relitigating Brexit but neither did Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour party, who is now running with the slogan of "make Brexit work". Perpetual motion machine, Brexit will never work.<br><br>Like a Newton's cradle may give the illusion that it will continue in perpetuity, Brexit will need constant interaction to kick it back into action.<br><br>Both main parties ignore the elephant in the room, refusing to acknowledge that it is Britain's leaving the EU, or more specifically the single market and customs union, that is devastating the economy.<br><br>Even Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England who replaced Mark Carney and who repeatedly warned of the risk to the economy due to Brexit, as well as Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor, would rather talk about something else. Brexit has become the great British taboo.<br><br>Six years after the referendum and a little over a year since the transition period ended economists are beginning to quantify the damage caused by the erection of trade barriers with Britain's biggest market, separating the "Brexit effect" from the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. <br><br><b>Damage far from over</b></div><div><br>Many conclude that the damage is real and it is not over yet.<br><br>The UK is lagging behind the rest of the G7 in terms of trade recovery after the pandemic. Business investment, seen by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak as the panacea to a poor growth rate, trails other industrialised countries, in spite of lavish Treasury tax breaks to try to drive it up. <br><br>Next year, according to the OECD think-tank, the UK will have the lowest growth in the G20, apart from sanctioned Russia.<br><br>The Office for Budget Responsibility, the official British forecaster, has seen no reason to change its prediction, first made in March 2020, that Brexit would ultimately reduce productivity and UK gross domestic product by 4% compared with a world where the country remained inside the EU. Moreover the OBR says that a little over half of that damage has yet to occur.<br><br>Such a level of decline, worth about £100bn a year in lost output, would result in lost revenues for the Treasury of roughly £40bn a year. That is £40bn that might have been available to the beleaguered Johnson administration for the radical tax cuts demanded by the Tory right — the equivalent of 6p off the 20p in the pound basic rate of income tax.<br><br>Despite the evidence of Brexit-induced economic self-harm piling up few are talking about reversing Brexit altogether. Neither is anyone talking about softening the edges, such as rejoining the single market.<br><br><b>Dogmatism over pragmatism</b><br><br>It need not have been like this. While ardent Remainers loathed the very idea of leaving the EU at all and would have happily ignored the referendum result, Britain could have left the EU and yet still have remained within the single market and customs union. Indeed there were many options Britain could have followed such as remaining a part of EFTA or the EEA or even negotiating a position such as Andorra which is outside the EU but maintains a customs union with the EU. But the Conservative party, firstly under Theresa May, and subsequently Boris Johnson, followed a path resulting in the hardest Brexit short of reverting to WTO rules.<br><br>Of course the government at the time could have ignored the referendum altogether, citing the fact that it wasn't legally binding and that to follow through with such a narrow majority of 52% was not in the country's economic interests. But Brexit was in the interest of the Tory party, satisfying the Euroskeptics in the party as well as allowing the Conservatives to take greater control of the population particularly by locking the doors and preventing easy emigration for millions.<br><br><b>Heading for recession</b><br><br>Downing Street insisted in late June that it was "too early to pass judgement" on whether Brexit was having a negative impact on the economy, which could be heading into a recession. "The opportunities Brexit provides will be a boon to the UK economy in the long run," Johnson's spokesman said.<br><br>However in the first week of August the Bank of England's Andrew Bailey raised interest rates by 0.5% to 1.75%, the biggest rise in some 25 years. Bailey also forecast that the UK will fall into recession this year, with the longest downturn since 2008 predicted.<br><br>This is hardly one of the "benefits of Brexit" hailed by the Johnson administration. <br><br><b>Claimed Brexit benefits</b><br><br>Indeed many so-called Brexit benefits could have been done without having left the EU. Such as Johnson's patriotic promise to put a "crown stamp" on pint glasses in pubs and to allow traders to sell their wares in pounds and ounces. Johnson's persistent claim that the UK's early approval and rollout of a COVID vaccine could not be done outside the EU is also misleading and essentially untrue. Firstly the UK was still in a transition phase and so had not formally left. Furthermore each state within the EU can independently approve and rollout such treatments. Hungary for instance approved Sputnik V, the Russian COVID vaccine. <br><br>Until the Brexit transition period ended on 31st December 2020, vaccines in the UK were supposed to be authorised via the European Medicines Agency (EMA). However, since 2012, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had been free, under the regulation 174, to give temporary approval to an unlicensed medicinal product in the case of certain types of public health threat, such as a pandemic [<a href="https://fullfact.org/health/coronavirus-vaccine-brexit/">Full Fact</a> / <a href="https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-brexit-did-not-speed-up-uk-vaccine-authorisation">Ch4News</a>].<br><br>Even Britain's new blue passport could have been blue prior to leaving the EU. In fact there is no stipulation within European law or international convention concerning the colour of a passport, though most tend to be dark colours and most are either burgundy, blue, green or black.</div><div><br>The colour change has instead only come to represent the loss of power the British passport now possesses. In 2010 the British passport was ranked as the most powerful in the world, and according to some reports had plummeted to 13th place [<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/demise-great-british-passport/">Telegraph</a>]. According to the <a href="https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking">Henley Global ranking</a> it had only slid to 6th place [<a href="https://www.cityam.com/british-passport-sixth-most-powerful-in-the-world-while-eu-states-dominate-top-ranks/">City AM</a>]. The actual position is somewhat moot. The crux of the matter is the strength of the UK passport has diminished since Brexit.<br><br>Britons also face more red-tape next year as the EU introduces ETIAS [European Travel Information and Authorization System]. The Visa scheme requires all visitors from non-EU countries to pre-register and submit photos and four fingerprints in the form of biometric data. There will all also be a charge of around €7 for the three-year permit. <br><br>While the scheme will potentially speed up entry to the EU, since stamps will no longer be required, some Brexiters labelled it 'sinister' as the EU collects such data on individuals, though many countries already collect such data such as South Korea, China et al. Without stamps it may also create issues for some travellers as there will be no obvious record concerning how many days one has used up of the allowed 90 days in each 180. <br><br><b>Brexit policy</b></div><div><br>Critics of the government's Brexit policy are routinely derided. Suella Braverman, attorney-general, accused the ITV presenter Robert Peston of "Remainiac make-believe" after he challenged her over the government's unilateral plan to rip up the Brexit treaty relating to Northern Ireland. Braverman claimed the so-called Northern Ireland protocol had left the region "lagging behind the rest of the UK". In fact, Northern Ireland - the only area of the UK to remain in the EU's single market for goods in order to keep intact the Good Friday Agreement - is the best performing part of the country, apart from London.<br><br>When Bailey appeared before the House of Commons treasury committee in mid-May, the BoE governor acknowledged that his predecessor Mark Carney had made himself "unpopular" for saying Brexit would have a negative effect on trade, but that the bank held to that view.<br><br>But now the chickens are coming home to roost. While some gloomy predictions failed to materialise, such as former chancellor George Osborne's 2016 warning of a recession immediately after a Leave vote, there is growing evidence that Brexit is causing more lasting damage to UK economic prospects. And this last week Bailey predicted that recession was indeed around the corner.<br><br><b>Ailing economy</b><br><br>The first and most obvious economic blow delivered by Brexit came when sterling fell almost 10% after the referendum in June 2016, against currencies that match the UK's pattern of imports. It did not, and still has not recovered. This sharp depreciation was not followed by a boom in exports as UK goods and services became cheaper on global markets, but it did raise the price of imports and pushed up inflation.<br><br>By June 2018, a team of academic economists at the Centre for Economic Policy Research calculated that there had been a Brexit inflation effect, raising consumer prices by 2.9%, with no corresponding increase in wages.<br><br>While the UK was still in the EU and during the Brexit "transition phase", there were no significant effects on trade flows. But this has changed since stricter border controls were introduced at the start of 2021, imposing no tariffs, but significant checks and controls at the formerly frictionless border.<br><br>Food prices have risen as a result of Brexit. Comparing the prices of imported food such as pork, tomatoes and jam, which predominantly came from the EU, with those that came from further afield such as tuna and pineapples, there has been a substantial Brexit effect. "Brexit increased average food prices by about 6 per cent over 2020 and 2021," according to a team of academic economists at the Centre for Economic Policy Research.<br><br>Summing up the effects on trade in which imports from the EU have fallen while exports have not risen, Adam Posen, head of the Peterson Institute of International Economics, says "everybody else sees a recovery in trade following COVID and the UK sits flat".<br><br>Another visible effect of Brexit on the UK economy has been in discouraging business investment. In the first quarter of 2022, real business investment was 9.4% lower than in the second quarter of 2016. That fall was mostly due to COVID, but it had flatlined since the referendum, ending a period of growth since 2010 and falling well short of the performance of other G7 countries.<br><br>Before departing the BoE in 2020, Carney told a House of Lords Committee that Brexit uncertainty was holding back business investment. Worse, he said, business planning for various Brexit scenarios was taking up a lot of management effort. "Time spent on contingency planning is time not spent on strategic initiatives," he said.<br><br>Unhappiness about high immigration was one of the most contentious issues of the referendum, with a central promise of the Brexit campaign being tougher controls over the number of people entering the country. While net immigration from EU countries has stopped, with effectively no change apparent in the two years to the end of June 2021, net immigration from non-EU countries has remained high, with 250,000 in the latest year.<br><br>There is, as yet, little appetite among Britain's political leaders for a return to the EU — even if the other 27 member states were prepared to open the door. Even the pro-EU Liberal Democrats admit reversing course is a long-term aspiration, rather than an immediate goal. And this has left many Remainers, or Rejoiners, somewhat politically disenfranchised.<br><br>While there isn't an exodus, there are many pro-Europeans looking for a way out. Those with enough financial resources, language skills and willing to jump through the bureaucratic hoops are seeking to relocate in Europe. Portugal in particular offers hope to some in that the D7 visa sets a low bar for those wanting to live in the country with the option to later acquire citizenship. Introduced in 2007 by the Portuguese government, the D7 visa allows non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens to apply for temporary residency in Portugal. It is used to obtain a permanent residency permit and eventually citizenship. <br><br><b>Collateral damage</b><br><br> Far from Brexit benefits there has only been collateral damage. As part of his attempt to avert a coup, Johnson wrote to MPs in June to say that he had "created a new and friendly relationship with the EU". The opposite is true. Brussels in fact had restarted legal action against the UK over the Northern Ireland protocol and EU relations are at rock bottom.<br><br>The EU has warned that British scientists will be excluded from the €95bn Horizon research programme as "collateral damage" in the row about Northern Ireland. The prospect of any kind of rapprochement seems remote even as Johnson leaves office to likely be replaced by Liz Truss.<br><br>There has been some commentary from the right that perhaps Brexit isn't going swimmingly. The pro-Leave Times columnist Iain Martin recently wrote, "To deny the downsides of Brexit on trade with the EU is to deny reality."<br><br>Meanwhile, Tobias Ellwood, a former Tory defence minister, suggested Britain should rejoin the EU single market to soften the cost of living crisis, said there was "an appetite" for a rethink and claimed polling indicated "this is not the Brexit most people imagined". And Daniel Hannan, a leading Tory Brexiter, repeated his longstanding view that Britain should have stayed in the single market under a Norway-style relationship with the EU, but adding that to rejoin it now "would be madness".<br><br>Such commentary is of course ignored or criticised by the mostly right-wing press. <br><br>On the left things aren't much better. Anna McMorrin, Labour's shadow minister, was recorded telling activists, "I hope eventually that we will get back into the single market and customs union." However, she was forced to apologise by Starmer<br><br>Labour's "make Brexit work" mantra does not bode well for pro-Europeans. <br><br>In the months following the Brexit vote Adam Posen made a long dissection of what leaving would mean. But is summary he said, <br><br>There were "no economic upsides" to Brexit, "only considerable downsides" pointing particularly at the law of gravity in terms of economics and trade <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcIkIz98zXU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcIkIz98zXU</a><br><br>So there are no Brexit benefits, only disadvantages.<br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK<br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-43680670697175563762022-05-24T20:34:00.001+00:002022-05-24T20:37:52.335+00:00Travelling in a pandemic<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmSUm3FwFEk/Yo1BdgBbLGI/AAAAAAAPV8M/eMRzgWmO7jYvmrxUki4u6de6gyOYAi_6QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Travel%2Bin%2Ba%2BPandemic_wm-799643.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7101404162501061730" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmSUm3FwFEk/Yo1BdgBbLGI/AAAAAAAPV8M/eMRzgWmO7jYvmrxUki4u6de6gyOYAi_6QCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Travel%2Bin%2Ba%2BPandemic_wm-799643.jpg" /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-78f3e186-7fff-804c-7172-f5764edc6947" style="color: white;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Travel restrictions may have been reduced significantly over the past few months. For those coming to the UK there are no longer forms or tests. But for many places outside of the UK, vaccination records, PCR tests and other documents are still required. And for Britons and other Europeans, now used to abandoning masks and other COVID rules, there are some countries that might prove to be a shock.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Journeying to South Korea recently was fraught, at least logistically. There were online forms required, not only by Korean authorities, but also the airline. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">For that one needed vaccination records and a negative PCR test certificate carried out within 48 hours of departure.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was of course advice on the UK government and Korean authority websites, though much was either opaque, confusing or contradictory.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With all the documents checked, uploaded and printed off it was time to set off. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Republic of Korea might still implement rigid COVID policies, but in the UK all rules and advice have all but been abandoned.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">First stop was the local bus stop and catch a bus to the local Underground station.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With rules abandoned I was surrounded by mostly maskless passengers.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was some comfort in my wearing an FFP2 mask. Nonetheless it was still disconcerting as one elderly woman coughed almost continuously throughout the 20 minute bus ride.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paddington Bear stares from behind my mask seemed not to register with this maskless passenger who may have just had a common cold with an irritating cough or worse a debilitating condition or even cancer. But it could just as well have been COVID, a disease which she seemed oblivious she might be spreading to her fellow passengers.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She wasn't the only one. Half way along the journey another elderly passenger boarded who also coughed during his time on board while sitting with his mouth gaping.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Tube was fairly empty for some of the journey though there was not a single mask in sight. By the time one arrived at Heathrow the percentage of passengers wearing masks had increased, but only marginally. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here too coughing could be heard, though those responsible were sitting at least some distance from myself.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course there are those who are of the opinion that we must all 'learn to live with the virus ' or believe the pandemic is over.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As regards the latter, this is simply not the case given the number of variants still being passed around. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as regards living with the virus, this is a potential recipe for disaster.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is true to say that fully vaccinated individuals may only experience cold-like symptoms. But the danger of abandoning all mitigations - such as testing, mask wearing and isolation - is that new more dangerous, vaccine resilient variants could come about and essentially kick-start a whole new pandemic.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Part of the travel experience is the booking into a hotel. In London masks were almost non-existent, both amongst staff and customers at a Radisson near to the airport.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The same was true at the Bucharest Intercontinental a few weeks earlier, a country that has also ditched most COVID restrictions.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">South Korea is a different ball-park altogether.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Masks remain mandatory for all inside spaces. There are no lanyards here. No ifs, no buts. "No mask, no entry" signs are abundant. And while there is no clear threat of a fine, no-one challenges or tests the rules.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few people may be seen failing to wear their mask properly, often foreign tourists from the West, but they will often be asked to wear it properly. Most obliged without debate.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some countries in the far East are still virtually impossible to enter due to COVID restrictions, such as China. However others are gradually opening up their doors albeit with strict requirements.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before even boarding the plane to Korea, proof of vaccination and PCR test, completed within 48 hours of departure, had to be uploaded to the airline's website. One also needed to fill out a detailed online form on a Korean government website, again uploading vaccination certificates and PCR test results, as well as passport details, valid phone numbers and address where one would be residing during one's stay in Korea. Upon completion a document containing a QR code was generated which had to be presented before being allowed through immigration. After electronic fingerprint recording and the taking of a photo it was then necessary to get a PCR test which we had booked ahead of time. With that taken we were then free to go to our hotel, though should the test prove positive there would no doubt have been an ambulance dispatched with medical staff dressed in hazmat suits tasked with taking us away to quarantine. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite the loops one had to jump through, it was all relatively efficient. Walking from the plane we were directed by staff wearing hazmat suits and masks to desks where our passport and QR code was checked. Immigration, which was fully manned, was controlled to maintain social distancing and it took just minutes to get through. Even the PCR test was carried out quickly and efficiently, though it was a little disconcerting to be swabbed by a medical worker sitting behind a hermetically sealed screen with gloved hands poked through the wall as though handling nuclear isotopes at a radiological facility. Even the result was swift, completed in a little under two hours. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The strict measures are all about keeping infections and deaths down. The country of 52 million people has managed to limit its total case load to 18 million with 24,006 deaths [as of 24th May], through aggressive tracing and testing as well as widespread vaccination.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For much of the pandemic South Korea, a country with a population of around 52 million, barely saw the daily number of cases entering triple figures. However in July 2021 daily cases exceeded one thousand. And as Omicron gradually became the dominant variant, cases surged from around 5,000 cases at the beginning of December 2021 to a peak of 400,000 daily cases by mid-March. Since then daily cases have fallen significantly to around 25,000 per day. Deaths overall have been kept down by strict mask-mandates across the country. South Korea loosened rules at the beginning of May requiring masks to be worn outdoors as COVID-19 cases dropped. However many still prefer to wear masks outside.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lee Geun-young, 34, who was wearing a mask, said he would stick to wearing one until COVID-19 became less concerning. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I miss the pre-pandemic days when we lived without a mask," Lee said from Hyochang Park. "It is inconvenient, but it's better to stay careful not only for myself but not to cause harm to others."</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is this social responsibility that is almost non-existent in the West. Many westerners, even those seen in Korea, only wear a mask when obliged or told. Fear of contracting the virus, or of passing it on seems not to be a concern.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is only strict enforcement by air stewards that maintains 100% mask wearing on planes. And it is Westerners in the main that ignore or buck the rules.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a recent Ryanair flight which still had a mask wearing policy in place, enforcement was non-existent.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Outbound to Romania saw only about 10% of passengers donning a mask whilst others wore them as neck ornaments or chin-warmers!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On return to Stansted airport, air stewards did make better efforts to enforce the rules, but only when the matter was raised with them as passengers boarded brazenly failing to adhere to the rules.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lufthansa certainly took a more robust approach en-route to Korea. Stewards would periodically walk along the aisle and ask passengers to properly wear their masks.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is clearly self-entitlement amongst some. Challenged by one passenger to wear her mask properly, the young German woman retorted "Who are you, the COVID police?" before muttering disparaging remarks in German.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Her mother calmed her, else one of our party might have further embarrassed her as he understood everything being said.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There was vindication however as at that moment an air stewardess passed and told her to wear her mask properly.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strict enforcement had clearly been dropped on the return flight a week later as nose-joggers and chin-warmers were not challenged at all.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And mask-wearing all but melted away the nearer one approached Europe. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At Frankfurt mask-wearing dropped to less than 30% within the airport. Even security staff were maskless. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On board the final hop from Frankfurt to London's Heathrow airport most passengers adhered to the rules but upon leaving the aircraft and snaking through immigration barely one person was wearing any form of face covering.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sitting on the subway train as it rattled through the capital, mask-wearing was clearing less than 1% with people clearly trying to put any reminder of the pandemic behind them.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The final leg of the journey put icing on the cake as the maskless taxi driver aired his concern as to whether he would be able to go on a cruise. "I'm not vaccinated," he proclaimed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-vaxxer," he added whilst going on to mutter false claims concerning the vaccine, its efficacy and questioning why one would need to take boosters.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Having been up for nearly 27 hours I was far too tired to explain the importance of mitigations and vaccines. Indeed there seemed to be no point in attempting to explain epidemiology to someone who was clearly an idiot.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the pandemic clear not over. UK deaths are still hovering at around 1,200 per week while Korean deaths are around 300 per week, kept down by mask mandates as well as high vaccination rates [about 88%]. In comparison some 74% are fully vaccinated in the UK. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are clearly inconsistencies in the way different countries are handling the pandemic. In Korea the masks,, social distancing, and heat sensors make clear there is still a perceived threat. In Britain one might have thought there had never been a pandemic as people go about their daily lives. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As cases of Monkeypox rise, a disease that can be spread through water droplets, surface contamination and close contact, it might be too early to drop the advice of 'Hand, Face, Space." [<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/transmission.html">CDC</a>]</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If, as some already fear, Monkeypox becomes the next pandemic, travel may become even more fraught in the coming months.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</span></p></span></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-30316269678706690722022-04-20T17:37:00.000+00:002022-04-20T17:39:19.651+00:00Romania prepares for influx as war intensifies<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3qTdgPMqbo/YmBFSvDyhRI/AAAAAAAO1Tk/WcABR6w5DeIOJ-r2nGd2Dds6uEGs5KKfgCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Refugee%2BCrisis-tvnewswatch-01_wm-759718.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I3qTdgPMqbo/YmBFSvDyhRI/AAAAAAAO1Tk/WcABR6w5DeIOJ-r2nGd2Dds6uEGs5KKfgCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Refugee%2BCrisis-tvnewswatch-01_wm-759718.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7088742001653482770" /></a></p><div dir="auto">More than 4.7 million refugees have fled the warzone in Ukraine. And a significant proportion have ended up in Romania, a country of some 20 million.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Romania accepts Ukrainian refugees without unnecessary formalities under a simplified procedure. Six refugee centers have been set up in the country, located in Timisoara, Maramures, Suceava, Giurgiu, Tulcea and Bucharest. Furthermore the Romanian government accommodates mothers with children from Ukraine free of charge.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">More than 650,000 refugees have crossed the border into Romania with a significant number arriving at the Gare du Nord in Bucharest.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">It is here that 'Dodo', a paramedic, has helped set up facilities to make their arrival more comfortable, much without government help.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Dodo, his real name Teodor, has almost single handedly taken over several rooms in the station and set up food kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and facilities for desperate refugees, many of which are women with young children.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Dodo proudly showed us around the store rooms packed with donations ranging from nappies to food and water.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">And of course there was the army of volunteers, some of them refugees themselves such as Lena from Odessa.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">It is Odessa that many have come from in recent weeks as Russia pushes it's way along the coast of the Black Sea.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">One crossing poin is Isaccea in southern Romania that borders with Ukraine, split by the River Danube.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">On Tuesday this week, around two months after the war began, hundreds of civilians were still crossing by ferry, greeted by volunteers, firefighters, paramedics and police officers.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Mostly women and children, some with their pets, and clutching what few possessions they could carry, entered Romania, happy to have escaped but equally sad to have fled their homeland.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Unfortunately, with Russia pushing further east and bombardments beginning in Lviv for the first time earlier this week, the numbers fleeing into Romania are likely to increase.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Being eyewitness to this influx of humanity is desperately sad, and something that both pictures and television reports cannot fully convey.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><i>tvnewswatch</i>, Bucharest, Romania</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-77756455660199344582022-04-17T17:45:00.001+00:002022-04-17T17:45:42.216+00:00Refugees give up on UK & return to warzone<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cclrzgghN_Y/YlxSSSqEQjI/AAAAAAAO0Lk/6QZ08liTSNUVFbS7zvqYA_wPiW0quHu6wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Ukraine%2Bcrisis-230322-01_wm-742257.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cclrzgghN_Y/YlxSSSqEQjI/AAAAAAAO0Lk/6QZ08liTSNUVFbS7zvqYA_wPiW0quHu6wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Ukraine%2Bcrisis-230322-01_wm-742257.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7087630387773719090" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Refugees are reportedly giving up on the UK's Homes for Ukraine visa scheme and returning to the war zone in Ukraine after running out of money and patience as they wait for their visa applications to be approved [<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leicestershire-61014365">BBC</a>/<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/29/ukrainian-refugees-giving-britain-red-tape/">Telegraph</a>/<a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/homes-for-ukraine-refugees-giving-up-uk-visa-scheme-after-delays-1564004">iNews</a>/<a href="https://youtu.be/DS8s1hMgMyQ">Sky News</a>].<br><br>Of the few that have managed to fight through the minefield of red tape, some are finding themselves homeless due to relationship breakdowns with their sponsors and problems accessing accommodation. A total of 144 Ukrainian households have approached 57 councils after becoming homeless after arriving in the UK under both schemes, the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed [<a href="https://metro.co.uk/2022/04/09/concerning-number-of-ukrainian-refugees-left-homeless-in-the-uk-16437526/">Metro</a>].<br><br>Britain has arguably provided strong military support to Ukraine and has stood alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with resolute support in his battle against Russian aggression. While Boris Johnson's recent visit to Kyiv might be dismissed as a publicity stunt, it was well received in Ukraine itself.<br><br>But Britain has failed abysmally in processing and welcoming refugees. More than 4.7 million mostly women and children have left the country since hostilities began. And while only a few thousand have sought to get to Britain, red tape and bureaucracy has thwarted their efforts.<div><br>Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, has himself faced a backlash after having told the Commons "we have done our bit" on immigration from Eastern Europe. <br><br>He said migration from the region had already led to "extreme pressure in terms of housing and jobs". </div><div><br></div><div>His own constituents were not impressed however. "As a Lincolnshire resident, he absolutely does not speak for me. No-one has 'done their bit' until each of the most basic of human needs - food, warmth and shelter are met for everyone, regardless of race or nationality," one Lincolnshire resident told the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-60586403">BBC</a>.</div><div><br></div><div>Unfortunately, few Britain's have been able to 'do their bit' as refugees have faced an uphill struggle to get into the country.</div><div><br></div><div><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK.</div><div><br></div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12080117.post-48760819824287357672022-04-04T17:05:00.000+00:002022-04-04T17:08:21.907+00:00Lives torn apart by a senseless war<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTaWPNrvYq4/YksmCa5eMBI/AAAAAAAOwFY/5exfSmg8aDI4P0Y6YWcRgMT_ANIBjMAcQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/Ukraine-flag_wm-701962.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tTaWPNrvYq4/YksmCa5eMBI/AAAAAAAOwFY/5exfSmg8aDI4P0Y6YWcRgMT_ANIBjMAcQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/Ukraine-flag_wm-701962.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_7082796661992206354" /></a></p><div dir="ltr">Dmitry Shevchenko lives in Sumy, in North East Ukraine, or at least he did. You are unlikely to have heard of Dmitry. But Shurap had some 945,000 subscribers to his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/shurap77/featured">YouTube channel </a>where he would display his blacksmith skills, forging beautiful knives from discarded scraps of metal, ball bearings and even empty armour piercing rounds.<br><br>But Shurap has not posted a video in little over a month, specifically 19th February - just five days before Russian tanks rolled into the country.<br><br>Hopefully Dmitry is fine and providing useful support to the Ukrainian military with his metallurgical skills.<br><br>But it does not look good for those living in Sumy which has been all but levelled by Russian bombardment [<a href="https://youtu.be/qs_AEG-E1CM">Channel 4 News</a>].<br><br>Dmitry Shevchenko's plight is just one of many. People lost in the fog of war. Detached by failed telecommunications services and Internet connectivity.<br><br>In South East Ukraine is another sad story, that of Lyudmila Semernya, the head of a primary school in Mariupol. She became a victim of this senseless war, killed by shrapnel on the 4th March.<br><br>Anyone who has young children will know how they bond with their teachers. Many of the children from school No.5 on the outskirts of Mariupol will hopefully have fled the devastated city. But imagine how they will feel to learn about the death of one of their favourite teachers. They may already have learned that Lyudmila has died, not from a sudden illness or tragic accident, but as a direct result of Putin's bloody war. Children, already reeling from having to flee their homes, and fathers left to fight Russia's invading army, will have to suffer a further psychological blow [<a href="https://twitter.com/paraicobrien/status/1509624098862903296?t=b_e1aoTdDexrd2_1ddFwKQ&s=19">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://youtu.be/ACXfA7azYXM">Channel 4 News</a>]. <br><br>These are just two individuals living hundreds of kilometres apart affected by this war.<br><br>But there are countless others, the names of which may never be known.<br><br>Such as those in Bucha, a town to the north west of Kyiv where hundreds of civilians were found dead on the streets as Ukrainian troops moved in over the weekend.<br><br>Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told the AFP news agency that following Ukrainian forces retaking the commuter town, the streets were found littered with bodies.<br><br>"In Bucha, we have already buried 280 people in mass graves," Fedoruk said, "All these people were shot, killed, in the back of the head."<br><br>He said the victims were men and women, and that he had also seen a 14-year-old boy among the dead.<br><br>Graphic video and photos of the victims circulated online. One showed a man's body with his hands tied behind his back, an open Ukrainian passport lay on the ground beside him. Another had a gaping head wound. Some reports say that some had also been beheaded or shown signs of torture prior to being sumarily executed [<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-bucha-atrocities-civilians-russia/">CBS</a> / <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/2/almost-300-buried-in-mass-grave-in-bucha-near-kyiv-mayor">Al Jazeera</a> / <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220402-bodies-litter-ukraine-town-s-street-of-death">France24</a> / <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/02/ukrainian-town-littered-with-civilians-bodies-mayor-says/">NYPost</a> / <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60967463">BBC</a> / <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10683697/Ukraine-war-Mass-graves-uncovered-Bucha.html">Daily Mail</a> / <br><br>On the face of it war crimes clearly took place in Bucha, though evidence will have to be gathered for any subsequent trial.<br><br>And as for the names, many will sadly be forgotten. Indeed without the mass graves being excavated and each victim identified it will be virtually impossible to know either the numbers or names of those killed in Bucha.<br><br><div>Two that perhaps won't be forgotten are Ksjena and Maksim Iowenko, shot by Russian forces as they tried to flee the war zone. Maksim was killed as he stood with his hands raised in surrender. His wife was killed in the car. Also in the car were their six-year-old son and the elderly mother of one of Maksim's friends. Both of them survived and were eventually released by the Russian soldiers.<br><br>These are just a few of the heart-rending stories of this war, a conflict that in only 40 days has killed thousands, displaced millions and torn untold lives apart [<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60949791">BBC</a>].<br><br>This is just one of many reports of Russian deliberately targeting civilians. On Thursday 3rd of March while attempting to deliver food to an animal sanctuary Anastasiia Yalanskaya, 26, was shot and killed, along with two colleagues, by Russians near the town of Bucha [<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10582513/Ukrainian-woman-died-car-shot-close-range-Bucha.html">Daily Mail</a>]. <br><br>For many people in Ukraine, life before the war was far from affluent. But most people had hopes and dreams. Hopes amongst the young that they might pursue a career as a doctor or scientist. Hopes amongst their parents of watching them grow up and get married.<br><br>Now many of the young, along with their mothers, have been scattered far and wide across Europe and beyond. Their futures are far from certain. Their hopes and dreams have been all but shattered. Most have reached a place of relative safety - should they have managed to avoid people traffickers or worse. But all will be torn, ripped apart from a once familiar life, torn from their fathers, their friends and their country. <br><br><i>tvnewswatch</i>, London, UK</div></div> Newsjunkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305954960508082514noreply@blogger.com0