oxmox

This thread is about politics & events in all kind of countries around the world. In the case of major events your are of course free to open an individual toppic about it. Democracy on the Retreat in Over 96 of the 193 U.N. Member States, Says New Study (IPS - Inter Press Service) The two regions of “highest concern†for defenders of civic space are Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, which between them account for over half of the countries counted. “The link between unethical business practices and closing civic space is becoming clearer as global inequality and capture of power and resources by a handful of political and economic elite rises. “ Advocacy for equitable sharing of natural resources and workers’ rights is becoming increasingly fraught with danger, says the report. The examples cited range from the killings of environmental activists in Brazil to the intimidation of organisations challenging the economic discourse in India, to arbitrary detention of activists opposing oil exploration in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He said “closed countries†are where virtually no civic activity can take place due to an extremely repressive environment. These include Eritrea, North Korea, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. There is a second list of countries that are active violators of civil society rights – meaning they imprison, intimidate and attack civil society members and put in place all kinds of regulations to limit the activities of civil society organisations (CSOs), particularly those working to uncover corruption and human rights violations, Tiwana said. These include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. A number of democracies are also engaging in illicit surveillance of civil society activists, further weakening respect for human rights. Stigmatisation and demonisation of civil society activists by powerful political figures and right-wing elements remains an area of concern. “When citizens’ most basic democratic rights are being violated in more than half the world’s countries, alarm bells must start ringing for the international community and leaders everywhere,†said Sriskandarajah. The report also points out some of the tactics deployed to close civic space include passing restrictive laws and targeting individual civil society organisations (CSOs) by raiding their offices, freezing their bank accounts or deregistering them. Tiwana told IPS governments in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have stepped up their efforts to prevent public demonstrations and the activities of human rights groups. “There appears to be no let-up in official censorship and repression of active citizens in authoritarian states like China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Vietnam.†In sub-Saharan Africa, he said, the repression of civic freedoms appears to have intensified in countries such as Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Gambia, Rwanda, Sudan, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. And activists and civil society groups in many countries in Central Asia and Eastern Europe — where democracy remains fragile or non-existent such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan — are also feeling the heat following governments’ reactions to scuttle demands for political reform. In South-East Asia, Tiwana pointed out, countries such as Cambodia and Malaysia have a history of repressive governance and in Thailand, where the military seized power through a recent coup, new ‘security’ measures continue to be implemented to restrict civic freedoms. http://www.ipsnews.net/2015/06/democracy-on-the-retreat-in-over-96-of-the-193-u-n-member-states-says-new-study/

The Telegraph - UK, 25th Aug. 2022 Bravo to the lockdown sceptics who were smeared and dismissed for daring to defend freedom https://archive.ph/Tm3id (no paywall) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/08/25/bravo-lockdown-sceptics-who-sacrificed-much-name-freedom/ TheTimes - UK, 28th Aug. 2022 Little by little the truth of lockdown is being admitted: it was a disaster https://archive.ph/Fafnt (no paywall) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/little-by-little-the-truth-of-lockdown-is-being-admitted-it-was-a-disaster-5b5lrlgwk

Yachts, jets and stacks of cash: super-rich discover risks of Instagram snaps From selfies on super-yachts to posing with private jets, the young heirs of the uber-wealthy have attracted worldwide envy and derision by flaunting their lavish lifestyles on social media. But these self-styled rich kids of Instagram are, often unwittingly, revealing their parents’ hidden assets and covert business dealings, providing evidence for investigators to freeze or seize assets worth tens of millions of pounds, and for criminals to defraud their families. The growing significance of social media in litigation was recently illustrated by rapper 50 Cent, who was ordered by a Connecticut court last month to explain a photo on Instagram in which he posed with stacks of $100 bills that spelled out “brokeâ€, months after filing for bankruptcy. The rapper claimed the money was fake. Their opponent in one asset recovery case claimed to have no significant valuables – until investigators found a social media post by one of his children that revealed they were on his $25m yacht in the Bahamas. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/03/super-rich-discover-hidden-risks-instagram-yachts-jets Fools' gold: super-rich Instagram decoded Investigators have been using the social media output of the Rich Kids of Instagram as a starting point for enquiries. So what can we learn from these endless shots of champagne and swimming pools? It’s hard to think of news sweeter than reports about how the “rich kids of Instagram†– the preening, materialistic, status-obsessed douchebags whose self-awareness is so profoundly lacking that they have inadvertently become their own meme – are inadvertently ruining their parents’ lives. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/04/fools-gold-rich-kids-of-instagram-decoded-investigators-social-media

reminds on France and Spain............... Covid-19 Germany Merkel pushes for tighter movement restrictions in German Covid-19 hotspots [5 Jan 2021] https://www.thelocal.de/20210105/merkel-pushes-for-tighter-movement-restrictions-in-german-covid-19-hotspots

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European Activists and Refugee Rescue Boat Operations in the Mediterranean [The Guardian] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/27/banksy-funds-refugee-rescue-boat-operating-in-mediterranean

COVID-what? Water park in Wuhan, China packs in thousands of music fans China - Wuhan goes wild with crowded Party [AFP, Aug. 17th] more........ https://globalnews.ca/news/7281777/coronavirus-wuhan-water-park-china/ In the meanwhile in Thailand................... Thailand: The world's strictest school social distancing more similar images here.... [its the Daily Mail...but pictures speak a thousand words]

Black Lives Matter Leader in Portland: "F*ck the Peaceful Protests" (Dont know the YT Channel, could be inappropiate or biased. Just watch the speech of her...) "Chicago police release video footage of protests at Columbus statue" This is an interesting footage released by the Chicago Police who are protecting the Columbus statue, showing from the air and from the eyes of the police officers how BLM protester organize violence, ambush and attacking them. Yesterday, the news did report that the Mayor of Chicago did order to remove the Columbus Statue. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/24/christopher-columbus-statue-removed-chicago-following-protests

Video from the Museum of Military Engineering (YT Channel) A german fighter pilot flies the Bf-109 once again after 74 years.... German Flight Veteran Erich Brunotte, 33 air victories, 96 years old Airplanes he did fly: Messerschmitt Bf 109, Focke Wulf 190, Focke Wulf Ta 152, Focke Wulf 190 D-9 The airplane he is going to fly in the video: Messerschmitt Bf109 G-12 Schulflugzeug (training plane) - Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin 500 "flying keeps you young"...... first sentence to the crowd after he did his flight (part with english subs ~ min. 14:09) the same pilot is flying the Bücker Bü131 this year, 2020, and doing a barrel roll

MASHUP´s by McClintock The Pantelettes - "Don't Mess With Phil" Band: The Marvelettes & Pantera (Phil Anselmo) Title: Dont mess with Bill & Walk Country: USA The Trammps and Rob Zombie - “Burn” Band: The Trammps & Rob Zombie Title: Disco Inferno and Dragula Country: USA Motörhead and Bob Marley - "Killed by Exodus" Band: Motörhead & Bob Marley Title: Killed by Death & Exodus Country: England & Jamaica

Mashup: The Bee Gees and Deep Purple - “You Should Be Smoking” Band: Bee Gees - You should be Dancing Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water MashUp: BobMarley & Frank Sinatra Band: Frank Sinatra - New York, New York Bob Marley - I wanna love you Mashup: James Brown Vs Queen Vs Fatboy Slim Band: James Brown - I feel Good Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love Fatboy Slim - Funk Soul Brother

US-Election 2020 If you take the Fridays for Future demonstrations last year or this year the Black Lives Matter protests, despite understandable reasons why such protest happening there was always the thought that such movements are supported and happening due to important political events. Last year the EU elections and the neverending story to weaken and topple Trump, the attempt to start the FFF movement aswell in the US with big PR traveling by boat but it actually did not succeed like in the EU/Germany. This year a strong raise of the BLM movement which got pushed (at least when you watch google trends) already in the 2016 election. The black community in the US is divided and not all of them including more conservative voters do not agree with all or even oppose the BLM protests. In the meanwhile the CNN did interview the Black Lives Matter Co-Founder and she says clearly - "Our goal is to get Trump out". Twitter Link - CNN

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The US is re-fighting its Civil War narrative (June 11, 2020; JP) more.... https://www.jpost.com/international/the-us-is-re-fighting-its-civil-war-narrative-analysis-631073

Germany 1945 - stunning restored color footage in HD I was thinking about you guys and thought maybe some have not seen this yet, excellent restored color film about Germany in 1945 recently released. You will find more interesting footage on their youtube channel.

Doctors rethinking coronavirus: - Yahoo, April 8 2020 Are we using ventilators the wrong way? In a video posted to YouTube on March 31, which has been widely circulated and discussed among doctors on the front lines of fighting COVID-19, Cameron Kyle-Sidell, an emergency medicine doctor at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, explains how, like most health care workers around the U.S., when he first started providing critical care for coronavirus patients in March, he was under the impression that he would be treating patients with a “viral pneumonia infection that would progress into acute respiratory distress syndrome. ---------> (C. Kyle-Sidell video) "they do not lool like patients dying of pneumonia...patients in front of me look like dropped off on the top of the Mt. Everest without time to acclimate" https://news.yahoo.com/rethinking-coronavirus-some-doctors-question-how-we-use-ventilators-123733204.html MDR german state TV reports about it - April 21 2020: https://www.mdr.de/wissen/behandlung-corona-beatmung100.html) Is this proof 'life-saving' ventilators are actually deathtraps? - April 17 2020 Their success rate is appalling and medics are increasingly worried they may do more harm than good, disturbing report reveals https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8230775/Is-proof-live-saving-ventilators-actually-deathtraps.html New Study Shows - April 22 2020 Nearly 9 in 10 Covid-19 Patients on Ventilators Don’t Make It https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-22/almost-9-in-10-covid-19-patients-on-ventilators-died-in-study

So, lets continue here with infos or news releases about the corona crisis. Started in the european thread, but its international so its maybe better here. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/03/us/detroit-bus-driver-dies-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

Bergamo in Italy Army called in as funeral services cannot cope with coronavirus victims (Deutsche Welle) 'There are no funerals:' Death in quarantine leaves nowhere to grieve Italy surpassed China as the country with the most people killed by the coronavirus on Thursday, after the Italian death toll surged to 3,405. (The Telegraph) https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-rites-insight/there-are-no-funerals-death-in-quarantine-leaves-nowhere-to-grieve-idUSKBN2161ZM

(with english subs) more about it: Die Welt (google transl.)

Austria bans all gatherings of more than five people Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday that there should be only three reasons for people to leave home: essential work, essential purchases such as food, and helping other people. People will be able to go out “only alone or with the people with whom [they] live in their apartment”. The Independent France French cases doubled over the last 72 hours to about 4,500. There have been 91 deaths, and 300 coronavirus patients are in critical condition — half of them under 50 years of age. New York Times Netherlands 40 to 50 Dutch corona patients in intensive care units: "More than half are under fifty" “More than half of those patients are under fifty years old. It also includes young people. "That says chairman of the Dutch Association for Intensive Care (NVIC) Diederik Gommers, in an interview with this site. Algemeen Dagblad Interesting Graphic shows the capability of health systems by nations to deal with an influx of patients requiring intensive care (ICU Beds) Source

(Audio with english subs)

Getting more tight for people living in Italy..... Italy's government orders all shops, bars and restaurants to close click for more

UK - TV

We are living in crazy times currently....... https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/09/coronavirus-italy-prime-minister-country-lockdown