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armeniaitn · 4 years

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Monthly Review July 2020

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/politics/monthly-review-july-2020-42062-02-08-2020/

Monthly Review July 2020

Europe

The United States is redeploying troops within Europe

On July 29, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the US will withdraw 11,900 military personnel from Germany, reducing its contingent in this country from about 36,000 to 24,000.

Esper also specified that 4,500 armored troops will go home, while other units will continue to be deployed on a rotational basis in the Black Sea region to “strengthen deterrence of Russia and to ensure the security of the allies on the south-eastern flank. A “fighter squadron and elements of a fighter wing” will be relocated to Italy.

The rotation of US forces in Europe demonstrates that the Black Sea-Mediterranean region is becoming more of a priority for the United States.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump promised to reduce the number of US troops in Germany, complaining that Berlin has overdue payments to NATO.

Eurasia

Escalation at the border of Azerbaijan and Armenia

Clashes on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border have continued since July 12 in the neighboring districts of Tovuz and Tavush, which also border Georgia and are several hundred kilometers from Nagorno-Karabakh. Later, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan stated that exacerbation spread to the line of contact in Karabakh – Agdam, Khojavand, Fizuli, Jabrail, Goranboy and Tartar districts.

According to Baku, as a result of the conflict on the border 12 Azerbaijani militaries, including a general, were killed. The Armenian side claimed the death of five soldiers, as well as injuries to nine soldiers and one civilian.

Turkey stated that it was ready to provide any assistance to Azerbaijan. Escalation of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan may lead to involvement of Turkey and Russia in the conflict, which is beneficial first of all for the US, which hopes to turn two Eurasian powers against each other.

Detention of Russians in Belorussia

On Wednesday, July 29, the detention of 33 Russians in Belarus was reported. The Belarusian authorities called them “fighters of a foreign private military company Wagner. The Russians were prosecuted under an article on the preparation of terrorist attacks. They face up to 20 years in prison. Later, Minsk reported that they’re suspected of preparing mass riots in the country.

Russia denies that the detainees belong to the PMCs. According to the Russian Ambassador to Belarus, the detainees were supposed to transit to Istanbul and work in a third country. Presumably, their presence was related to talks about Libya, where the Russians were being sent to protect oil facilities.

Presidential elections are to be held in Belarus on August 9. Alexander Lukashenko, who has been the president of the country since 1994, has not been in the best relations with Russia recently and demonstrates the desire to diversify the foreign policy in favor of the United States.

At the same time, there is a possibility that Lukashenko has detained the Russians in order to get a credit of trust in the West, on the one hand, and to use them as hostages to prevent Russian players from interfering in Belarusian politics.

Middle East

PKK gives Syrian oil away to the US

On July 30, Syrian Kurdish separatist authorities signed an agreement with an American company to modernize oil fields in the north-east of their country. This was announced by US Senator Lindsay Graham.

American legislators specified the Kurdish formations from the coalition of “Syrian democratic forces” (SDF) close to terrorist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) had made a deal with an unnamed American company. The Graham referred to the information received directly from the commander of the SDF paramilitary units, Mazlum Kobani.

Graham said this in a statement to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee at a hearing with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Pompeo answered that he supported this policy.

Thus, the Kurdish separatists in Syria have again demonstrated that they are American puppets, which the US uses to plunder the oil wealth of Syria.

Asia

American crusade against China

July 27, the US Consulate General in Chengdu was officially closed in China, the Foreign Ministry said.

After that, representatives of local authorities entered the institution through the main gate and took it under their jurisdiction. This decision followed the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston. The US has accused Chinese diplomats of aiding hackers who allegedly tried to steal data on the coronavirus.

On July 23, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an accusatory speech against China. He called the country a threat to the free world and called for the formation of an anti-Chinese bloc.

The statements and actions of the US show that the confrontation between the US and China in the format of the New Cold War becomes a constant of international politics.

North Korea: No to denuclearization

On July 28, DPRK Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un said that the nuclear arsenal guarantees the safety of his country. On the same day, he presented commemorative pistols to senior army officers.

The North Korean leader’s statement shows the collapse of American attempts to denuclearize North Korea. It is also a blow to the image of Donald Trump, who claimed he could force the DPRK to follow this path.

Having nuclear weapons reduces the likelihood of the state being at war with him. North Korean leadership understands this very well, especially given the experience of Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi’s renunciation of nuclear weapons paved the way for the NATO invasion in 2011.

North America

The riots in Portland

Racially motivated riots continued in the United States in July. A new protest center was the city of Portland, Oregon. Protests are spilling over into clashes with police.

US President Donald Trump has ordered a federal force to be sent to the city. This decision was criticized by local authorities, as well as a number of senators and members of the US House of Representatives.

The actions of federal law enforcement agencies caused only a new outbreak of unrest – those dissatisfied with the actions of the military took to the streets from New York to San Francisco. The riots in Portland are growing into a real rebellion that neither the state nor the federal authorities can cope with.

South America

The Bank of England steals Venezuelan gold

On July 2, the British High Court ruled to deny the Government of Venezuela access to their own gold reserve held by the Bank of England. The court decision explains that Britain recognizes Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, rather than the elected President Nicolas Maduro, as the country’s president.

Previously, the government of Maduro had tried to take away $1 billion worth of gold from the Bank of England, explaining the need to spend this amount to fight the Coronavirus epidemic in Venezuela. After being refused, Maduro’s team asked the UN to mediate and filed a lawsuit in May demanding that the bullions be handed over to the UN Food Programme.

The British actions demonstrate the danger of keeping gold reserves abroad, especially in imperialist Western countries.

Africa

The former Central African Republic president is coming to power

On July 25, in the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui, former President François Bozizé declared himself a candidate in the presidential elections at the Kwa-na-Kwa party congress. They will take place in the Central African Republic in December this year.

Bozizé has been under UN sanctions for several years and is wanted for crimes against humanity. He was an active participant in the civil war with the Seleka Muslim coalition and closely linked to France. After Bozizé lost power in 2013, he fled to Cameroon. In December 2019, Bozizé returned to his homeland.

This step was supposed to promote reconciliation between different groups. However, now Bozizé’s inclusion in the power struggle may contribute to new destabilization in the CAR.

Oceania

USA and Australia: Anti-Chinese Front

On July 28, the United States and Australia said they will expand military cooperation amid growing tensions with China in the Asia-Pacific region, seeking to create a “common front of the two allies”.

Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the two countries will strengthen relations in a variety of defense areas, including hypersonic, electronic and space weapons.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in turn, welcomed the participation of five Australian ships in a joint exercise with the US aircraft carrier strike team and the Japanese destroyer in the Philippine Sea last week.

In a joint statement, the heads of foreign policy and military affairs of the two countries noted that they discussed the expansion of operations in the city of Darwin in northern Australia, where US Marines have been deployed on a rotational basis since 2012.

All these actions are clearly directed against China, and Australia is one of the most important pillars of American hegemony in the Pacific region. Despite Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne declaring that Kanberra has “no intention of injuring” its relations with Beijing, China viewed recent US-Australian talks as a threat. According to Chinese official newspaper Global Times ”in case a military conflict between China and the US takes place, and Australia, as well as other countries like India and Japan, play a role in it, they will immediately also become targets of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as the PLA will take resolute countermeasures to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Read original article here.

#Armenia #Karabakh #Politics

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vsplusonline · 4 years

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Iran’s economy a factor in coronavirus response, President Rouhani says

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/irans-economy-a-factor-in-coronavirus-response-president-rouhani-says/

Iran’s economy a factor in coronavirus response, President Rouhani says

Iran‘s president on Sunday lashed out at criticism of the country’s lagging response to the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East, saying the government has to weigh economic concerns as it takes measures to contain the pandemic.

Hassan Rouhani said authorities had to consider the effect of mass quarantine efforts on Iran’s beleaguered economy, which is under heavy U.S. sanctions. It’s a dilemma playing out across the globe, as leaders struggle to strike a balance between restricting human contact and keeping their economies from crashing.

“Health is a principle for us, but the production and security of society is also a principle for us,” Rouhani said at a Cabinet meeting. “We must put these principles together to reach a final decision.”

READ MORE: Pope Francis backs UN chief’s call for global ceasefire amid coronavirus pandemic

State TV on Sunday reported another 123 deaths, pushing Iran’s overall toll to 2,640 amid 38,309 confirmed cases.

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Most people suffer only minor symptoms, such as fever and coughing, and recover within a few weeks. But the virus can cause severe illness and death, especially in elderly patients or those with underlying health problems. It is highly contagious, and can be spread by those showing no symptoms.

1:25 WHO says world ‘squandered’ its first opportunity to stop the coronavirus outbreak

WHO says world ‘squandered’ its first opportunity to stop the coronavirus outbreak

In recent days, Iran has ordered the closure of nonessential businesses and banned travel between cities. But those measures came long after other countries in the region imposed more sweeping lockdowns. Many Iranians are still flouting orders to stay home in what could reflect widespread distrust of authorities.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

Iran has urged the international community to lift sanctions and is seeking a $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Elsewhere in the region, Qatar reported its first death from the new coronavirus late Saturday, saying the total number of reported cases there was at least 590.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: China sends medical supplies, personnel to Pakistan

Iran has urged the international community to lift sanctions and is seeking a $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

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Elsewhere in the region, Qatar reported its first death from the new coronavirus late Saturday, saying the total number of reported cases there was at least 590.

3:29 Coronavirus outbreak: WHO director announces 1st patients will be enrolled in ‘solidarity’ drug trial

Coronavirus outbreak: WHO director announces 1st patients will be enrolled in ‘solidarity’ drug trial

The tiny, energy-rich nation said it flew 31 Bahrainis stranded in Iran into Doha on a state-run Qatar Airways flight. But since Bahrain is one of four Arab countries that have been boycotting Qatar in a political dispute since 2017, Doha said it could not fly the 31 onward to the island kingdom.

“Bahraini officials have said they will send a flight for them at some undefined point in the future,” the Qatari government said in a statement.

Bahrain said it planned a flight Sunday to pick up the stranded passengers. The kingdom said it had its own repatriation flights scheduled for those still stuck in Iran and warned Qatar that it “should stop interfering with these flights.”

READ MORE: Coroanvirus — Spain, Italy demand help from European Union as crisis deepens

In Egypt, at least 1,200 Sudanese are stranded at the border after Sudan closed all its crossings, according to Egyptian officials at one of the crossings. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

Sudan, which is still reeling from the uprising that toppled President Omar al-Bashir last year, has five confirmed cases, including one fatality. It’s one of several countries in the region where the health care system has been degraded by years of war and sanctions. Authorities closed the borders to prevent any further spread.

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Sudan’s Information Minister Faisal Saleh said Sudanese authorities are looking for lodging in Egypt for the stranded passengers. He said authorities have quarantined at least 160 undocumented migrants who were sent into Sudan from war-torn Libya earlier this month.

Residents in Egypt’s southern city of Luxor say they are providing shelter to the stranded Sudanese.

“We have provided food and medicine to the Sudanese brothers,” said Mahmoud Abdel-Rahim, a local farmer. “People hosted women, children and elders in their homes.”

Egypt, which has reported 576 cases and 36 fatalities, imposed restrictions on cash deposits and withdrawals to prevent crowding at banks as payrolls and pensions are disbursed. Authorities began imposing a nighttime curfew last week.

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newstechreviews · 5 years

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Many people blame the coronavirus epidemic on globalization, and say that the only way to prevent more such outbreaks is to de-globalize the world. Build walls, restrict travel, reduce trade. However, while short-term quarantine is essential to stop epidemics, long-term isolationism will lead to economic collapse without offering any real protection against infectious diseases. Just the opposite. The real antidote to epidemic is not segregation, but rather cooperation.

Epidemics killed millions of people long before the current age of globalization. In the 14th century there were no airplanes and cruise ships, and yet the Black Death spread from East Asia to Western Europe in little more than a decade. It killed between 75 million and 200 million people – more than a quarter of the population of Eurasia. In England, four out of ten people died. The city of Florence lost 50,000 of its 100,000 inhabitants.

In March 1520, a single smallpox carrier – Francisco de Eguía – landed in Mexico. At the time, Central America had no trains, buses or even donkeys. Yet by December a smallpox epidemic devastated the whole of Central America, killing according to some estimates up to a third of its population.

In 1918 a particularly virulent strain of flu managed to spread within a few months to the remotest corners of the world. It infected half a billion people – more than a quarter of the human species. It is estimated that the flu killed 5% of the population of India. On the island of Tahiti 14% died. On Samoa 20%. Altogether the pandemic killed tens of millions of people – and perhaps as high as 100 million – in less than a year. More than the First World War killed in four years of brutal fighting.

In the century that passed since 1918, humankind became ever more vulnerable to epidemics, due to a combination of growing populations and better transport. A modern metropolis such as Tokyo or Mexico City offers pathogens far richer hunting grounds than medieval Florence, and the global transport network is today far faster than in 1918. A virus can make its way from Paris to Tokyo and Mexico City in less than 24 hours. We should therefore have expected to live in an infectious hell, with one deadly plague after another.

However, both the incidence and impact of epidemics have actually gone down dramatically. Despite horrendous outbreaks such as AIDS and Ebola, in the twenty-first century epidemics kill a far smaller proportion of humans than in any previous time since the Stone Age. This is because the best defense humans have against pathogens is not isolation – it is information. Humanity has been winning the war against epidemics because in the arms race between pathogens and doctors, pathogens rely on blind mutations while doctors rely on the scientific analysis of information.

Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesAn influenza camp, where patients were given “fresh air treatment,” in 1918.

Winning the War on Pathogens

When the Black Death struck in the 14th century, people had no idea what causes it and what could be done about it. Until the modern era, humans usually blamed diseases on angry gods, malicious demons or bad air, and did not even suspect the existence of bacteria and viruses. People believed in angels and fairies, but they could not imagine that a single drop of water might contain an entire armada of deadly predators. Therefore when the Black Death or smallpox came to visit, the best thing the authorities could think of doing was organizing mass prayers to various gods and saints. It didn’t help. Indeed, when people gathered together for mass prayers, it often caused mass infections.

During the last century, scientists, doctors and nurses throughout the world pooled information and together managed to understand both the mechanism behind epidemics and the means of countering them. The theory of evolution explained why and how new diseases erupt and old diseases become more virulent. Genetics enabled scientists to spy on the pathogens’ own instruction manual. While medieval people never discovered what caused the Black Death, it took scientists just two weeks to identify the novel coronavirus, sequence its genome and develop a reliable test to identify infected people.

Once scientists understood what causes epidemics, it became much easier to fight them. Vaccinations, antibiotics, improved hygiene, and a much better medical infrastructure have allowed humanity to gain the upper hand over its invisible predators. In 1967, smallpox still infected 15 million people and killed 2 million of them. But in the following decade a global campaign of smallpox vaccination was so successful, that in 1979 the World Health Organization declared that humanity had won, and that smallpox had been completely eradicated. In 2019 not a single person was either infected or killed by smallpox.

Spencer Platt—Getty ImagesA sparse international departures terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on March 7. Days later, as concerns over the coronavirus grew, President Trump announced restrictions on travelers from Europe.

Guard Our Border

What does this history teach us for the current Coronavirus epidemic?

First, it implies that you cannot protect yourself by permanently closing your borders. Remember that epidemics spread rapidly even in the Middle Ages, long before the age of globalization. So even if you reduce your global connections to the level of England in 1348 – that still would not be enough. To really protect yourself through isolation, going medieval won’t do. You would have to go full Stone Age. Can you do that?

Secondly, history indicates that real protection comes from the sharing of reliable scientific information, and from global solidarity. When one country is struck by an epidemic, it should be willing to honestly share information about the outbreak without fear of economic catastrophe – while other countries should be able to trust that information, and should be willing to extend a helping hand rather than ostracize the victim. Today, China can teach countries all over the world many important lessons about coronavirus, but this demands a high level of international trust and cooperation.

International cooperation is needed also for effective quarantine measures. Quarantine and lock-down are essential for stopping the spread of epidemics. But when countries distrust one another and each country feels that it is on its own, governments hesitate to take such drastic measures. If you discover 100 coronavirus cases in your country, would you immediately lock down entire cities and regions? To a large extent, that depends on what you expect from other countries. Locking down your own cities could lead to economic collapse. If you think that other countries will then come to your help – you will be more likely to adopt this drastic measure. But if you think that other countries will abandon you, you would probably hesitate until it is too late.

Perhaps the most important thing people should realize about such epidemics, is that the spread of the epidemic in any country endangers the entire human species. This is because viruses evolve. Viruses like the corona originate in animals, such as bats. When they jump to humans, initially the viruses are ill-adapted to their human hosts. While replicating within humans, the viruses occasionally undergo mutations. Most mutations are harmless. But every now and then a mutation makes the virus more infectious or more resistant to the human immune system – and this mutant strain of the virus will then rapidly spread in the human population. Since a single person might host trillions of virus particles that undergo constant replication, every infected person gives the virus trillions of new opportunities to become more adapted to humans. Each human carrier is like a gambling machine that gives the virus trillions of lottery tickets – and the virus needs to draw just one winning ticket in order to thrive .

This is not mere speculation. Richard Preston’s Crisis in the Red Zone describes exactly such a chain of events in the 2014 Ebola outbreak. The outbreak began when some Ebola viruses jumped from a bat to a human. These viruses made people very sick, but they were still adapted to living inside bats more than to the human body. What turned Ebola from a relatively rare disease into a raging epidemic was a single mutation in a single gene in one Ebola virus that infected a single human, somewhere in the Makona area of West Africa. The mutation enabled the mutant Ebola strain – called the Makona strain – to link to the cholesterol transporters of human cells. Now, instead of cholesterol, the transporters were pulling Ebola into the cells. This new Makona strain was four times more infectious to humans.

As you read these lines, perhaps a similar mutation is taking place in a single gene in the coronavirus that infected some person in Tehran, Milan or Wuhan. If this is indeed happening, this is a direct threat not just to Iranians, Italians or Chinese, but to your life, too. People all over the world share a life-and-death interest not to give the coronavirus such an opportunity. And that means that we need to protect every person in every country.

In the 1970s humanity managed to defeat the smallpox virus because all people in all countries were vaccinated against smallpox. If even one country failed to vaccinate its population, it could have endangered the whole of humankind, because as long as the smallpox virus existed and evolved somewhere, it could always spread again everywhere.

In the fight against viruses, humanity needs to closely guard borders. But not the borders between countries. Rather, it needs to guard the border between the human world and the virus-sphere. Planet earth is teaming with countless viruses, and new viruses are constantly evolving due to genetic mutations. The borderline separating this virus-sphere from the human world passes inside the body of each and every human being. If a dangerous virus manages to penetrate this border anywhere on earth, it puts the whole human species in danger.

Over the last century, humanity has fortified this border like never before. Modern healthcare systems have been built to serve as a wall on that border, and nurses, doctors and scientists are the guards who patrol it and repel intruders. However, long sections of this border have been left woefully exposed. There are hundreds of millions of people around the world who lack even basic healthcare services. This endangers all of us. We are used to thinking about health in national terms, but providing better healthcare for Iranians and Chinese helps protect Israelis and Americans too from epidemics. This simple truth should be obvious to everyone, but unfortunately it escapes even some of the most important people in the world.

Alex Brandon—APPresident Trump leaves the podium after announcing a national emergency during a news conference about the coronavirus at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 13.

A Leaderless World

Today humanity faces an acute crisis not only due to the coronavirus, but also due to the lack of trust between humans. To defeat an epidemic, people need to trust scientific experts, citizens need to trust public authorities, and countries need to trust each another. Over the last few years, irresponsible politicians have deliberately undermined trust in science, in public authorities and in international cooperation. As a result, we are now facing this crisis bereft of global leaders that can inspire, organize and finance a coordinated global response.

During the 2014 Ebola epidemic, the U.S. served as that kind of leader. The U.S. fulfilled a similar role also during the 2008 financial crisis, when it rallied behind it enough countries to prevent global economic meltdown. But in recent years the U.S. has resigned its role as global leader. The current U.S. administration has cut support for international organizations like the World Health Organization, and has made it very clear to the world that the U.S. no longer has any real friends – it has only interests. When the coronavirus crisis erupted, the U.S. stayed on the sidelines, and has so far refrained from taking a leading role. Even if it eventually tries to assume leadership, trust in the current U.S. administration has been eroded to such an extent, that few countries would be willing to follow it. Would you follow a leader whose motto is “Me First”?

The void left by the U.S. has not been filled by anyone else. Just the opposite. Xenophobia, isolationism and distrust now characterize most of the international system. Without trust and global solidarity we will not be able to stop the coronavirus epidemic, and we are likely to see more such epidemics in future. But every crisis is also an opportunity. Hopefully the current epidemic will help humankind realize the acute danger posed by global disunity.

To take one prominent example, the epidemic could be a golden opportunity for the E.U. to regain the popular support it has lost in recent years. If the more fortunate members of the E.U. swiftly and generously send money, equipment and medical personnel to help their hardest-hit colleagues, this would prove the worth of the European ideal better than any number of speeches. If, on the other hand, each country is left to fend for itself, then the epidemic might sound the death-knell of the union.

In this moment of crisis, the crucial struggle takes place within humanity itself. If this epidemic results in greater disunity and mistrust among humans, it will be the virus’s greatest victory. When humans squabble – viruses double. In contrast, if the epidemic results in closer global cooperation, it will be a victory not only against the coronavirus, but against all future pathogens.

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itsfinancethings · 5 years

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Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesAn influenza camp, where patients were given “fresh air treatment,” in 1918.

Winning the War on Pathogens

Guard Our Border

What does this history teach us for the current Coronavirus epidemic?

Alex Brandon—APPresident Trump leaves the podium after announcing a national emergency during a news conference about the coronavirus at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 13.

A Leaderless World

#IFTTT #Blogger

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traveljaunts · 6 years

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Traveling to Africa has been one of my long-term dreams come true. For last 3 years or so, I was researching on the same, checking for safari destination, costs and considering how to plan my African safari. But before I talk about this once in a lifetime East African safari adventure, let me start with some insights on Africa.

Myths & Misconceptions about Africa

Africa is a country

Whenever I have spoken to people about Kenya Tanzania, most of the times people have used the word south Africa in return. In India Africa means south Africa for many. Let me state here, South Africa is one of the nations/countries that is part of Africa. Africa is a continent and countries like Kenya Tanzania are East African nations of Africa.

Africa is dangerous, people are violent, not a safe place to be

When we talk about Africa, we are talking about a huge continent. Not all countries are at war and not all places are unsafe. With stories on civil wars, child soldiers, pirates, and revolutions, it’s no wonder that people fear to go to Africa. However, there is a different side to it. The way we treat Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India differently even though they all come under Asia, similarly all African nations can’t be treated in the same way.

Mauritius, Botswana, Ghana, Senegal, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Namibia are some of the most peaceful nations within Africa. Staying safe is a matter of common sense and please read travel warnings before concluding anything about Africa. For example, It is absolutely safe to go to safari destinations in Africa.

Africa is the origin of many diseases and is ridden with diseases

Diseases have taken millions of lives each year in Africa due to lack of childhood immunization and lack of basic healthcare. Many diseases in-fact originated from South America, Europe, and Asia but the outbreak in Africa has been impactful only because of lack of basic healthcare.

However, there has been a huge change since last decade. Most deadly diseases that plagued African nations once are completely preventable by vaccinations and simple hygiene today.

For travelers from the west, even the more exotic diseases of Africa namely, yellow fever, typhoid etc can be avoided simply by vaccination. And as far as Malaria is concerned, it can be avoided using prophylactics, sprays and body creams. For HIV/Aids

Its always hot in Africa

Africa is not exclusively made of desert and Savannahs. There are high altitude mountains, rainforests and cool coastal peninsulas. Infact during winters, temperatures in sub Saharan regions plunge below freezing. Many African nations also record snow. Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains see enough snow to support a ski resort near Marrakesh.

We found Nairobi in May to have similar climate as Bangalore. While on roads in Kenya, there were a couple of stretches which made us feel as if we were in Europe.

All African countries are poor and need aid to develop

Africa is often painted with a sweeping stroke of doom and gloom. Bad news and sad stories sell more. There are many pre- conceived notions. Seychelles, Mauritius, Botswana, Namibia, Egypt and South Africa are some of the countries with a good standard of living and respectable GDP. Africa has four of the ten fastest growing economies in the world

Africa is cheap

Its not really cheap to travel in Africa. The cost of transport accommodation etc is almost at par with other places in other continents. Infact, safari destinations in Africa are a bit on a higher side because the season is limited to a few months and maintaining such properties in the middle of nowhere locations is a task in itself.

There is nothing to see apart from animals

That’s not true. We all know one of the oldest civilizations that developed around the Nile, the Egyptian civilization is from the same continent. Egypt has so much history, Nile river and Pyramids. Mauritius and Seychelles Zanzibar in Tanzania on the other hand are well known beach destinations.

For desert lovers, Namibia is the place to be, South Africa is one of the adventure capitals of the world and Marrakesh in Africa is well known cultural delight.

Food could be a big issue for travellers from the west

I never knew till my visit to east Africa that they have same rice, Lentils and chapati. Indian chapati is the same chapati in Swahili too. You do get the same tea, coffee and juices to drink. The same breads, eggs, pancakes and fruits to eat for breakfast and similar dishes for lunch and dinner. In East Africa, most good hotel chains are run by Indians so don’t worry, you will even find biryani, papad and pickle there.

Our experience in Africa- Movie shot and made by Travel Jaunts

Facts about Africa

Africa is the world’s second largest in size and second most-populous continent

It covers 6% of Earth’stotal surface area and 20% of its land area. about a fifth of the earth’s total landmass. This makes it larger than India, China, Mexico, USA and a huge chunk of Europe combined.

Africa is the most centrally located continent in the world. Both the prime meridian (0 degrees longitude), and the equator (0 degrees latitude) cut across it.

The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Seato the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and still has the shortest coastline compared to its land mass.

There are approx. 54 fully recognized countries, nine territories and two independent states with limited or no recognition in the African continent

There are an estimated 1500-2000 African languages spoken in African of which 10-11 are most spoken.

Islam is the dominant religion in Africa. Christianity is the second.

There are 135 UNESCO world heritage sites in Africa which are located in approx. 37 countries across Africa.

World’s longest river Nile is in Africa. It is approx. 6600 km long and flows through 11 countries finally draining into Mediterranean sea.

Madagascar island in Africa is the fourth largest island in the world.

The Victoria Falls, located along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The Zambezi River is the fall’s main water source.

The second-largest freshwater lake in the world is lake Victoria of Africa.

World largest hot desert is of course Africa’s Sahara desert covering 9.1 million km2.

The highest point in Africa is Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Both the world’s tallest and largest land animals come from Africa. They are the giraffe and African elephant, respectively.

A single tribe in Kenya-called the “Kalenjin”-produces most of the world’s fastest long-distance runners

And don’t consider Africa to be backward in terms of technology. There are more than 100 million Facebook users in Africa at present.

Where to go for best wildlife experience in Africa

Africa’s top 5 classic safari destinations along with most famous parks are

Kenya – Masai Mara

Tanzania – Serengeti

Botswana (one of the most expensive safari destinations)– Chobe National Park

South Africa – Kruger

Namibia- Etosha National park

However, Kenya Tanzania are literally the mecca of wildlife viewing. The annual migration of two million wildebeests plus hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras – followed by their predators in search of pasture and water – is one of the most impressive nature spectacles in the world which takes place between these two adjacent countries, Kenya and Tanzania. The animals make a 2000-kilometre trek between the Serengeti ecosystem from Tanzania to Kenya and then back.

National parks in East Africa – East Africa tour

The national parks fall primarily under the following countries

Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda

Kenya : Masai Mara National Park, one of the most popular across the world is in Kenya and one can see Kenya’s most abundant wildlife here. Masai Mara in Savanah in a part of the vast Greater Serengeti, where massive herds of animals make an annual migration across the plains. Apart from Mara Kenya does have many other good quality parks with abundant wildlife including Samburu, Tsavo, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru

Tanzania: Serengeti National Park is almost 5 times Masai Mara in size and houses part of the Serengeti National Park — the best park to see great herds of wildlife. Besides, one of our most favorite places in Tanzania is Ngorongoro conservation area or Ngorongoro crater adjacent to Serengeti. Over 30,000 animals live in the crater; it has the densest lion population in the world.

Mount Kilimanjaro national park, Tarangire National Park, lake manyara are noteworthy sites too in Tanzania.

Uganda: If you are interested in primates, you should choose Uganda. It offers the opportunity to get a close look at Chimpanzees, Gorillas, and others in their natural habitats.

When to go for Africa safari

The best time to travel to Africa depends on your specific destination. Overall, it’s best (but most expensive) to travel in the dry season, which corresponds with the region’s winter. For east African nations, Kenya and Tanzania, the best time is, of course, the migration time which is from July to September.

Visas and vaccinations for Africa

Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa offer Visa on arrival for Indians. The only thing you need is the passport and itinerary. Visa cost per person is approx. $50 per person for both the countries.

Yellow fever vaccination is a must for East African and Southern African nations. You need to carry the yellow card when you travel to these destinations. At the time of your exit from the country, this will be checked.

African Safari- How to book

There are three options

All inclusive safari packages in Africa offered by tour operators– These are guided, custom made and tailor-made packages for families and groups inclusive of food, tours, excursions, and accommodation. The vehicle is either a minivan or 4 by 4 land cruiser for road trips. And you also have flying safaris, you can directly fly into some of the parks instead of driving.

Accommodation can vary from ultra-luxury suits/stylish tents to budget options/eco-lodges depending on the budget. You can also opt for mid-range options or a combination of all. This is the best way to travel for families with kids as well as for corporate groups.

There are many East Africa tour operators and online websites offering Safari tours in Africa. Important thing is to select a trusted safari tour operator in Africa to avoid any kind of scam. Travel Jaunts also offers African safari tour packages in Kenya and Tanzania with our partners in Africa who have a very high reputation and reviews. We have traveled with them and checked each and every facility that we offer.

Overland or Mobile Safaris– One typically stays in budget accommodations and travels in groups with other travellers. These are the cheapest type of organized tour safaris. These are usually participatory, you may be expected to pitch in with chores such as cooking meals or setting up camp. Intrepid travel and Acasia Africa are some of the operators in this category. Makes sense for solo travellers who can stay happily in budget places with basic facilities.

Self drive– For the most adventurous ones , you do have the option of self drive safari in Africa though it is only limited to public parks. You can opt foremost in expensive stay options ala carte meals and tour the wild on your own without any guide.

East Africa safari tour- our journey

I could have done Kenya long back but I was keen on doing Kenya along with Tanzania. Tanzania is a little more expensive destination than Kenya. If beach destinations interest you than you can also club your Tanzania safari with Zanzibar

With limited time at hand, we spent almost 15 days exclusively on Kenya Tanzania Safaris exploring various national parks. We booked our flights till Nairobi and then it was a complete road trip. You do have an option of flying safaris for those who can’t sit in the vehicles for long but for us, the whole tour was pretty comfortable and enjoyable. Driving through the parks is much more scenic and adventurous than flying into the park. The route that we followed was

Nairobi- Samburu- Nakuru-Masai Mara-Serengeti-Ngorongoro-Lake Manyara lake-Amboseli- Nairobi

Please click on the each of the national park above to read in details. Here are some memories of our East Africa tour.

Masai Mara

Inside the 4X4 land cruiser

Ready for the game drive

Picnic in Mara with animals around

Greenery unlimited

Breakfast by the Mara river

Playing with animals in the backdrop

Ngorongoro Farm House

Picnic point inside the Crater, Tanzania

East Africa Safari Tour– Kenya Tanzania Traveling to Africa has been one of my long-term dreams come true. For last 3 years or so, I was researching on the same, checking for safari destination, costs and considering how to plan my African safari.

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elizabethenroute-blog · 7 years

Photo

Week One in South Tyrol/Alto Adige/Süd Tirol

I didn’t put the title of this post in three languages to be fancy. No, it’s because I genuinely don’t know how language works around here.

On Monday, my wonderful mother and I flew out to settle me in to my new home for the next eight months: Bruneck. Or Brunico. And also Bornech.

Bruneck is the heart and soul of the Puster Valley, located right up in the very North East of Italy. If you’re lost by that description, I would suggest you look at it as being basically Austria, but that would offend a lot of locals so don’t do that. A quick google will show you that I’m surrounded by Heidi-style architecture, the most epically turquoise lakes, and cows that genuinely wear bells round their necks (which is extremely cute and I’m starting a petition to make bells obligatory for all British cows).

To catch you up on why this place is most certainly, 100% not Austria, here’s a quick history lesson. The territory was originally part of the Austro-Hungarian empire (hola Habsburgs). During the First World War, the Allies promised the region to Italy as an incentive to do its iconically sneaky switching of sides - think of the Allies as university rugby seniors and Italy as a fresher being promised it won’t get too badly hazed on the condition that it chunders over its best friends. This deal was the 1915 Treaty of London, and by 1919 the region had been annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.

Then along came Mussolini, and with him came efforts to italianise South Tyrol. This meant German was largely banned in the public sphere - newspapers were censored, the German language was forbidden in public service, and it even became illegal to teach in German. This led to the creation of Katakombenschule (Catacomb schools), which taught secret lessons focusing on the writing and reading of German.

Then along came Hitler, who wanted to be best mates with Mussolini. They agreed that the German-speaking population of South Tyrol should be transferred to the Vaterland, uniting all German speakers, however the outbreak of war prevented this from properly happening.

Nevertheless, it caused rifts in families. If you stayed, you were a traitor. If you left, you were a Nazi.

After the Second World War, German and Italian both became South Tyrol’s official languages, and the Allies decided that the area should be given a degree of self-rule, which led to it becoming the autonomous province it is today.

I shouldn’t hesitate to add that this was not achieved without a great deal of struggle, and the dissatisfaction amongst the South Tyroleans during the post-war period led to terrorist acts being committed by the Befreiungsausschluss Südtirol (Committee for the Liberation of South Tyrol), such as the bombing of 37 electricity pylons in Bolzano/Bozen in 1961.

So, how am I coping living here? Well if the history hadn’t been so bloody complicated then I’d probably have some idea about which language I’m supposed to be speaking in.

In my personal experience, I’ve been shocked at how many people here do actually speak Italian. The impression I was given by my university was that I’d have to go out of my way to find someone to practice Italian with, but that really isn’t the case.

The schools are split into German schools and Italian schools, but it’s compulsory for students at both to learn each other’s languages, meaning this truly is a bilingual region.

On my first day here, I was thrown off by one elderly lady I was speaking to on the train. There we were, chatting away in German, when I must have hesitated, or stuttered, I don’t know, but somehow this old dear got the impression that I was struggling with the conversation. Without even the slightest bit of prior warning, she just switched to Italian. I don’t even think she blinked in that time. Even stranger, my brain managed to continue the conversation for me in the new language - a good two minutes before my consciousness caught up and realised what the hell had just happened.

Then there’s the dialect issue. It’s times like this when I love Britain, because even though I do struggle to understand Scottish accents sometimes, at least I know we’re speaking the same words. I spent an afternoon at a friend’s house this week and chatted with her daughters. One of them, eight years old, asked me something that sounded like “Wie spät isht?” It took me a good five minutes before I realised she was asking me in dialect “Wie spät ist es?” - what time is it? The dialect really is a different language in itself, so much so that I’m having to go home and study all my new vocabulary. A girl (in German - Mädchen) is a Gitsche, and a boy (in German - Junge) is a Bub. That’s before I’ve even got my head around Ladin, an ancient Romance language which is also spoken here.

I guess the best way to describe this region is by saying it’s just like going to Wales. All the street signs are in two languages, as are the menus and the train announcements.

The cultures are perfectly intertwined. If there’s an Italian flag hung out on the street, you can pretty much guarantee there’ll be an Austrian flag next to it, and the South Tyrolean flag sandwiched in between them. On my first morning here, my Mum and I went out in search of Kaffee & Kuchen (coffee and cake). At the café we found, she was able to tuck in to an apple strudel while I simultaneously attacked a tiramisu.

However, my favourite example so far has to be the lunch I had when my Mum and I ascended the gorgeous mountain which is Kronplatz. 2,275 meters up, in the middle of the Dolomites, I was able to order a Wiener Schnitzel, and I washed it down with a luminous orange Aperol Spritz. I have no idea if this was socially acceptable or not, or even if the two really complimented each other, but I did it. Austrian culture and Italian culture, married together on one sunny Tyrolean lunchtime. For me, that’s the epitome of everything South Tyrol represents today.

I’m truly year abroading in a mix of schnitzel and spritz.

Until next time,

Elizabeth ❤️

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voiceinwild-blog · 7 years

Text

What will cure the U.S. addiction to war?

Kathy Kelly

31 July 2017

We must redouble our efforts to stop the war makers from gaining the upper hand in our lives.

President Donald Trump and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2017, at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh. Credit: Official White House Photo, Shealah Craighead via Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.

"I come and stand at every door But none shall hear my silent tread I knock and yet remain unseen."

Nazim Hikmet, Hiroshima Child

At a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 18 2017, Republican Senator Todd Young asked officials if the ongoing war in Yemen would exacerbate the catastrophe developing there—one of four countries, along with Southern Sudan, Nigeria, and Somalia, which are set to lose 20 million people collectively this year from conflict-driven famine.

Yemen is being bombarded and blockaded using US-supplied weapons and vehicles by a regional coalition marshaled by Saudi Arabia, with US support. Yemen's near-famine conditions and attendant cholera outbreaks are so dire that a child dies there every ten minutes of preventable disease.

At the hearing, Young held aloft a photo of a World Food Program warehouse in Yemen which was destroyed in 2015. He asked David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Program, to name the country responsible for the airstrike that demolished it. Beasley replied that the Saudi-led coalition blockading Yemen had destroyed the warehouse, along with the relief supplies it contained.

A July 2016 Human Rights Watch report documented 13 civilian economic structures that were destroyed by Saudi coalition bombing between March 2015 and February 2016, including:

“Factories, commercial warehouses, a farm, and two power stations. These strikes killed 130 civilians and injured 171 more. The facilities hit by airstrikes produced, stored, or distributed goods for the civilian population including food, medicine, and electricity—items that even before the war were in short supply in Yemen, which is among the poorest countries in the Middle East. Collectively, the facilities employed over 2,500 people; following the attacks, many of the factories ended their production and hundreds of workers lost their livelihoods.”

When asked about the Saudi coalition's destruction of four cranes needed to offload relief supplies in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah, Beasley confirmed that their loss had greatly impeded WFP efforts to deliver food and medicines. Young read from Beasley’s June 27 letter to the Saudi government—only the latest of multiple requests—in which he asked that the WFP be allowed to deliver replacement cranes. The WFP Director said that the Saudis had provided no reply. Young then noted that, in the three weeks since this last letter had been sent, more than 3,000 Yemeni children had died of preventable, famine-related causes.

Medea Benjamin of the antiwar campaign Code Pink was at the hearing, and later thanked Young for rebuking the Saudi government’s imposition of a state of siege, plus the airstrikes that are preventing the delivery of food and medicine to Yemeni civilians. One day later, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported on a July 19 coalition airstrike in Yemen which killed 20 civilians—including women and children—while they were fleeing violence in their home province. The report claimed that more than two million internally displaced Yemenis have "fled elsewhere across Yemen since the beginning of the conflict, but … continue to be exposed to danger as the conflict has affected all of Yemen's mainland governorates."

On July 14, the US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would potentially end US participation in the Yemeni civil war. In the past, the White House has provided refueling and targeting assistance to the Saudi-led coalition without congressional authorization. Since October of 2016, the US has doubled the number of jet refueling maneuvers carried out with Saudi and United Arab Emirate jets. The Saudi and UAE jets fly over Yemen, drop bombs until they need to refuel, and then fly back to Saudi airspace where US jets perform mid-air refueling operations. Next, they circle back to Yemen and resume the bombing.

What can be done to end this seeming addiction to war?

In the summer of 2006, I joined peace campaigner Claudia Lefko at a small school that she had helped found in Amman, Jordan. The school served children whose families were refugees from the postwar chaos in Iraq. Many of the children had survived war, death threats and displacement. Lefko had worked with children in her hometown of Northampton, Massachusetts, to prepare a gift for the Iraqis at the school. The gift consisted of strings of paper origami cranes, folded in memory of a Japanese child called Sadako who had died from radiation sickness after the bombing of her home city of Hiroshima in 1945.

In her hospital bed (so the story goes), Sadako occupied her time by attempting to fold 1,000 paper cranes, a feat she hoped would earn her the granting of a special wish that no other child would ever suffer the same fate as those who had been killed and injured in Hiroshima. She succumbed too rapidly to complete the task herself, but other Japanese children who heard about her folded many thousands more. This story has been re-told for decades in innumerable places, making the delicate paper creations a symbol for peace throughout the world.

The Turkish writer Nazim Hikmet wrote a poem about Sadako which has since been set to music. Its words are on my mind today as I think of all the malnourished children from the countries of the terrible Four Famines, and from other conflict-torn, US-targeted countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. I think of their months and years of hunger. Their stories may have ended already during the first half of 2017. Hikmet writes:

"I need no fruit I need no rice

I need no sweets nor even bread

I ask for nothing for myself

For I am dead for I am dead."

The song of the “Hiroshima Child" imagines a child who comes and “stands at every door…unheard and unseen.” In reality, we, the living, can choose to approach the doors of elected representatives and of our neighbors, or we can stay at home. We can choose whether or not to be heard and seen.

Robert Naiman at Just Foreign Policy points out that many people don’t know that the House of Representatives has voted to prohibit US participation in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. So we must publicize the vote on social media, push for a House roll call vote on the Davidson-Nolan prohibitions on Defense Appropriation, and urge the Senate to pass the same provisions as the House.

I recognize that legislative activism at the heart of an empire addicted to war is a tool of limited use. But considering the impending disaster for which 2017 may well be remembered—as the worst famine year in post-WWII history—we don’t have the luxury to reject any of the tools and opportunities that are presented to us. I also personally oppose all defense appropriations and have refused all payment of federal income tax since 1980.

Billions, perhaps trillions of dollars will be spent to send weapons, weapon systems, fighter jets, ammunition, and military support to the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, fueling new arms races and raising the profits of US weapon makers. We must choose to stand at the doors of our leaders and of anyone else who might have influence over this situation, honoring past sacrifices and the innocent lives we were unable to save even as we redouble our efforts to stop the war makers from constantly gaining the upper hand in our lives.

We can never reverse the decisions to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and we cannot prevent all of the dying that is set to come this fateful summer in the countries of the Four Famines. In her song, Sadako, long beyond saving even as she folded more paper cranes in her bed, doesn't ask us to erase her own terrible loss, but to achieve whatever change that we can, and to lose no more time in doing so:

"All that I need is that for peace

You fight today you fight today

So that the children of this world

Can live and grow and laugh and play."

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#saudi arabia #yemen #famine #hiroshima #sadako

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itsfinancethings · 5 years

Link

March 15, 2020 at 06:00AM

Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesAn influenza camp, where patients were given “fresh air treatment,” in 1918.

Winning the War on Pathogens

Guard Our Border

What does this history teach us for the current Coronavirus epidemic?

Alex Brandon—APPresident Trump leaves the podium after announcing a national emergency during a news conference about the coronavirus at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 13.

A Leaderless World

#IFTTT #Blogger

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