don ‘I say bye to my kids, in case we don’t wake up’ – two Gazans film a year under attack by Israel By www.bbc.com Published On :: Mon, 14 Oct 2024 21:10:07 GMT Over the past year, Aya and Khalid have been filming their lives for a BBC documentary. Full Article
don 'Man of his word': Jan 6 rioters expect Trump will keep pardon promise By www.bbc.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 23:46:17 GMT Several Capitol riot defendants have asked for hearings to be delayed in anticipation of pardons. Full Article
don Mpox - what we know... and what we don't By www.bbc.com Published On :: Fri, 25 Oct 2024 09:53:34 GMT How much do we really understand about the virus formerly known as monkeypox? Full Article
don 'You don’t have to be the strongest' - is arm wrestling on the rise? By www.bbc.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:01:49 GMT Arm wrestling is trying to shed its reputation as a bar sport. Could its inclusion at the African Games could help it enter the mainstream? Full Article
don London Uncovered By www.bbc.co.uk Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 13:02:52 GMT Built in 1865, The Crossness Pumping Station is famed for it's wrought-iron decoration. Full Article
don London drinking culture: Is it time for change? By www.bbc.co.uk Published On :: Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:59:00 GMT Have we reached a point where consuming alcohol is not only normal, but expected? Full Article
don Rice and Saka injuries 'don't look good' - Arteta By www.bbc.com Published On :: Sun, 10 Nov 2024 20:32:51 GMT Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that injuries to Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice "don't look good" after they came off against Chelsea. Full Article
don More toilets will take 'worry' out of London travel By www.bbc.com Published On :: Sun, 03 Nov 2024 03:08:58 GMT Billie Nicholls, who has ulcerative colitis, says some people don't have the luxury of waiting. Full Article
don London's new lord mayor: 'It's not just ceremonial' By www.bbc.com Published On :: Sat, 09 Nov 2024 08:06:41 GMT Alastair King is the 696th person to be appointed as the lord mayor of the City of London. Full Article
don Early prison release: 'I'm lost and don't know what to do' By www.bbc.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 05:55:20 GMT One man tells BBC London not enough is being done to keep prisoners released early off the streets. Full Article
don London's bagpipes 'girlband' announce split By www.bbc.com Published On :: Sat, 02 Nov 2024 08:02:30 GMT They will be performing one final time at this year's Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Dagenham. Full Article
don BBC Radio London team finish swim challenge By www.bbc.com Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:08:43 GMT BBC Radio London's team of swimmers have completed their part of the 1,000-mile challenge. Full Article
don The London pub where prices jump £2 after 10pm By www.bbc.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:35:10 GMT Drinkers at a Soho pub have to pay more for late-night pints as part of a dynamic pricing policy. Full Article
don London sisters to star in Children in Need choir By www.bbc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:12:52 GMT Two sisters from east London will perform as part of a choir made up of children from around the UK. Full Article
don “If the Democrats could fight wars as well as they execute Election Fraud, we would have obliterated all of our many enemies throughout the World, and would have nothing to worry about!” ~ Donald J. Trump By powderedwigsociety.com Published On :: Sun, 29 Aug 2021 14:34:49 +0000 Touché! .@POTUS45: "If the Democrats could fight wars as well as they execute Election Fraud, we would have obliterated all of our many enemies throughout the World, and would have nothing to worry about!" pic.twitter.com/GpMO46zrNQ — Natalie Harp (@NatalieJHarp) August […] The post “If the Democrats could fight wars as well as they execute Election Fraud, we would have obliterated all of our many enemies throughout the World, and would have nothing to worry about!” ~ Donald J. Trump appeared first on Powdered Wig Society. Full Article 2020 presidential election 2020 election fraud afghanistan donald trump
don Trump On Coronavirus: ‘Don’t Let It Dominate You, Don’t Be Afraid Of It’ By hispolitica.com Published On :: Tue, 06 Oct 2020 04:56:58 +0000 President Trump returned to the White House Monday evening after spending three-day being treated for COVID-19 at Walter Reed National Military Center, released an upbeat video message telling Americans not to be afraid of the virus. “One thing that’s for certain — Don’t let it dominate you,” Trump said in a one-minute long video filmed […] The post Trump On Coronavirus: ‘Don’t Let It Dominate You, Don’t Be Afraid Of It’ appeared first on Hispolitica. Full Article President Donald Trump Coronavirus covid-19 Dr. Sean Conley HIPAA hope hicks Melania Trump president trump Walter Reed White House
don East meets west London - the mentor who changed Chelsea By www.bbc.com Published On :: Wed, 21 Aug 2024 23:04:58 GMT Vinay Menon knew nothing about football when he went for a meeting at a west London mansion in 2009. A few weeks later he was in the heart of the Chelsea dressing room. Full Article
don Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinkley Tells Leftists to Stop Asking Him to Murder Donald Trump By lidblog.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 01:15:01 +0000 This is how disgusting Democrats are… the man who tried to murder Ronald Reagan in 1981 is now telling Democrats to stop asking him to assassinate Donald Trump. If you are a Democrat, you can’t be hated enough. Hinkley had to tell Democrats to stop with their negativity on social media, WAVY-TV reported. “I’m a […] The post Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinkley Tells Leftists to Stop Asking Him to Murder Donald Trump appeared first on The Lid. Full Article Election 2024
don Lunatic Democrat Murders His Wife and Kids Over His Hate for Donald Trump By lidblog.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 02:10:15 +0000 This is how mentally deranged liberals are… a Democrat in Minnesota was so filled with rage that Donald Trump won the election last week that he murdered his own wife and kids and then committed suicide to prevent them all from having to live during the next Trump presidency. Notice how you never heard any […] The post Lunatic Democrat Murders His Wife and Kids Over His Hate for Donald Trump appeared first on The Lid. Full Article Election 2024
don Donald Trump’s New Border Czar Means Business… and Democrats are Furious By lidblog.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 02:15:52 +0000 Donald Trump has riled the left-wing, anti-American Democrats once again, this time by naming Biden critic and immigration expert Thomas D. Homan as his “border czar.” Homan is an excellent choice for this, certainly. No one knows more about fixing border policy better than Homan who ha spent the last 5 years bedeviling the left […] The post Donald Trump’s New Border Czar Means Business… and Democrats are Furious appeared first on The Lid. Full Article Election 2024 Immigration
don News24 | Donald Trump's 'very polarising brand' raises new conflicts of interest following US election win By www.news24.com Published On :: Wednesday Nov 13 2024 09:00:22 Donald Trump's impending White House return poses questions once again about conflicts of interest related to his business empire, with new cryptocurrency and other ventures raising fresh concerns. Full Article
don velocityconf: If you don't understand your ppl, you don't understand #Ops http://t.co/DQTBLJlWza New #velocityconf interview w/ @katemats By twitter.com Published On :: Mon, 20 May 2013 20:26:56 +0000 velocityconf: If you don't understand your ppl, you don't understand #Ops http://t.co/DQTBLJlWza New #velocityconf interview w/ @katemats Full Article
don Airbnb CEO says most employees don't want full autonomy at work — and those that do should start their own companies By www.businessinsider.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:10:41 +0000 "I think they say they want autonomy. I think their actions don't say the same thing," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently said in an interview. Full Article Tech Careers Strategy airbnb brian-chesky founder-mode
don Differentiation Done Right: How “Walk to Read” Works By www.readingrockets.org Published On :: Fri, 14 Oct 2022 09:46:39 EDT When we’re asked to switch to explicit, systematic instruction, many teachers worry that we’ll no longer be able to tailor our teaching to the students in front of us. Calls for whole-class phonics instruction lasting 30-45 minutes, for example, summon fears that our students will be bored by concepts they already know or aren’t yet ready for. Full Article
don Which Americans have passports, and which Americans don’t? By www.upgradetravelbetter.com Published On :: Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:46:06 +0000 30% of Americans have passports. But where do those Americans live? New Jersey takes the prize for the highest percentage of passports issued: 68.36%. At the low end: Mississippi, with just 19.86%. Via C.G.P. Grey, see the graphic below: For the “yes, but…” file: This dataset actually reflects addresses for issuance, not ownership of US […] The post Which Americans have passports, and which Americans don’t? first appeared on UPGRADE: TRAVEL BETTER. Full Article Travel
don Accept Donations via PayPal from Your WordPress Site Easily By www.tipsandtricks-hq.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Sep 2021 04:16:06 +0000 Do you run a charitable website? Or do you offer content free to the public? Perhaps it is time that you add a donation button to start monetizing your website. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of adding a PayPal donation button to your WordPress website, and even those without developer […] The post Accept Donations via PayPal from Your WordPress Site Easily appeared first on Tips and Tricks HQ. Full Article Make Money accept paypal payment donate button payment button Payment Gateway Paypal paypal donation paypal donation plugin PayPal Tutorials plugin Website Tips wordpress paypal wordpress paypal donation Wordpress Plugin WordPress tutorial
don Rainforest Café fans: don't miss this Empire State Building pop-up By boingboing.net Published On :: Tue, 01 Oct 2024 17:45:00 +0000 Earlier this year on April Fools' Day, the Empire State Building announced that they would be opening at a Rainforest Café on the iconic building's 86th floor observatory. If you got your hopes up just to find out it was all an April Fools' joke, rejoice, because now the joke is about to become reality. — Read the rest The post Rainforest Café fans: don't miss this Empire State Building pop-up appeared first on Boing Boing. Full Article Post all of your jungle-themed restaurant dreams are coming true April Fools Day joke turns into reality Empire State Building pop-ups Rainforest Cafe
don This app is your podcast dealer…don't get addicted By boingboing.net Published On :: Wed, 02 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000 TL;DR: Take 75% off this podcast player and discovery app with code TAKE10 at checkout. We're not gonna lie: This app is so good it should come with a warning label. It's got everything a podcast junkie like yourself could ever want: millions of shows, easy discovery of new episodes, offline listening…But be warned, you'll only want more once you get a taste. — Read the rest The post This app is your podcast dealer…don't get addicted appeared first on Boing Boing. Full Article Post Boing Boing Shop shop
don Lunatic Democrat Murders Wife and Kids, Commits Suicide Over His Hate for Donald Trump By conservativefiringline.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 16:15:34 +0000 The following article, Lunatic Democrat Murders Wife and Kids, Commits Suicide Over His Hate for Donald Trump, was first published on Conservative Firing Line. This is how mentally deranged liberals are… a Democrat in Minnesota was so filled with rage that Donald Trump won the election last week that he murdered his own wife and kids and then committed suicide to prevent them all from having to live during the next Trump presidency. Notice how you never heard any … Continue reading Lunatic Democrat Murders Wife and Kids, Commits Suicide Over His Hate for Donald Trump ... Full Article Crime Politics Anthony Nephew Biden children garbage kill mental illness partner Trump wife
don Dog Day & Donuts in Half Moon Bay, CA By www.everintransit.com Published On :: Mon, 20 Feb 2017 05:33:10 +0000 I don’t know how old our dog Posey is. She’s a rescue pup that we found at the city shelter back in 2011. We took her home, somewhat unexpectedly, that same day. It was Super Bowl Sunday, so every year at about that time we celebrate (our oh-so-creatively-named) birthday alternative, “Dog Day,” by taking her […] The article Dog Day & Donuts in Half Moon Bay, CA originated at EverInTransit.com Full Article California dogs food Northern California pet friendly travel San Francisco Bay Area Silicon Valley
don The REAL Harm Done By Calling Everyone You Don’t Like ‘Hitler’ Is BIGGER Than Lefties Think By clashdaily.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:18:25 +0000 There's a reason Hitler holds a special place of disgrace in public memory. He combined the ambition and destruction of Attila The Hun with the personal malice of a serial killer. The post The REAL Harm Done By Calling Everyone You Don’t Like ‘Hitler’ Is BIGGER Than Lefties Think appeared first on Clash Daily. Full Article Videos
don Don’t take their word for it By signalvnoise.com Published On :: Fri, 02 Oct 2020 17:34:06 +0000 A few weeks ago, we needed some hardware fast. After some back and forth with the vendor, they promised “expedited delivery”. That sounded like a good thing, but it meant nothing. To us, expedited delivery meant overnight delivery. That’s what we had in our head. Our experiences elsewhere equated expedited as overnight, but expedited isn’t… keep reading Full Article Uncategorized
don Sport | Football legend Dalglish lauds Gary Player after golf event: 'Fantastic what he's done for SA' By www.news24.com Published On :: Tuesday Nov 12 2024 12:09:17 Sir Kenny Dalglish hailed nine-time Major champion Gary Player and expressed his delight at Liverpool's position at the top of the Premier League during his visit to South Africa this weekend. Full Article
don Sport | Makgopa's rise evidence of Broos' Bafana impact: 'You don't want to disappoint such a person' By www.news24.com Published On :: Wednesday Nov 13 2024 05:00:31 Evidence Makgopa wore a sheepish smile when Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos showered him with praise before literally patting the forward on the back, making him blush at Dobsonville Stadium. Full Article
don Investigation: Waste of the Day – Walz Campaign Donors Received $15 Billion in State Business By deneenborelli.com Published On :: Tue, 08 Oct 2024 18:13:14 +0000 Investigation by Jeremy Portnoy originally published by RealClearInvestigations and RealClearWire Topline: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted $890,000 in campaign donations from employees – including C-suite executives – of 434 state vendors between 2019 and 2022, a new report from OpenTheBooks found. Those same companies collected nearly $15 billion in payments from the state between 2019 … Full Article Commentaries News
don How Women are Transforming Indonesia By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 20 May 2019 13:26:04 +0000 How Women are Transforming Indonesia Interview sysadmin 20 May 2019 In a series exploring women in international affairs, Isabel Dunstan speaks to Gitika Bhardwaj about the rise of the women’s movement in Indonesia. Southeast Asia has one of the highest records of gender-based violence in the world and Indonesia was recently ranked as the second most dangerous place for women in the Asia-Pacific. What is the state of women’s rights and gender equality in Indonesia? It is true that Indonesia has high rates of violence against women, however, it’s difficult to know the realities of women’s experiences because in the past the data has been somewhat unreliable. This has been due to reasons such as a lack of reporting mechanisms available to survivors of violence and the fact that discussing sexual violence is a taboo and, if reported, can result in stigmatization which limits the number of survivors who have come forward. However, the first reliable nationwide survey on gendered violence in Indonesia was conducted in 2017 by the Indonesian Ministry of Women and Child Protection and the United Nations Population Fund. Interestingly, it showed that Indonesia’s rates of violence against women are on par with the global rate which is that 1 in 3 women are affected by sexual violence in their lifetime. It’s therefore difficult to generalize that Indonesia is an unsafe place for women because it’s an extremely diverse country. There is a growing middle class while there is pervasive poverty. There is religious diversity where the eastern-most province of Aceh is the only province in the country where Sharia law is enforced, whereas in the western-most province of West Papua, the dominant religion is Christianity and the ways of life are completely different. Nevertheless, violence against women is high in Indonesia and can happen in all places – rich or poor, east or west – and has different manifestations from street harassment and trafficking to domestic violence and workplace harassment. In some parts of the country there are high rates of child marriage too and, according to UNICEF, 14 per cent of girls in Indonesia are married by the time they turn 18 which is shocking when we think about how child marriage limits girls’ access to education and makes them more vulnerable to sexual violence and therefore restricts their futures. Child marriage is high in Indonesia in part due to rooted gender norms, low levels of education and discriminating legislation, such as the marriage law, which states that, although it is legal to marry at 21, girls can marry at 16 and boys can marry at 19 with parental consent. But this can be even lower meaning parents could get their daughters married at as young as 13. So the law is fundamentally unfair between girls and boys and the women’s movement in Indonesia has been fighting extremely hard to reform legislation that discriminates against women and girls. From the country’s first female president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, to incumbent finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati – who was voted ‘Best Minister in the World’ in 2018 – and maritime and fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti – who has become notorious for her tough stance against illegal fishing activities – how are women progressing in Indonesian politics? Indonesia has come a long way since becoming a democracy in 1998. Before that, the second president and dictator, Suharto, ruled the country for almost 32 years and increased the inequality gap between men and women during his reign. Since the fall of Suharto, however, gender equality is explicitly enshrined in Indonesia’s constitution and the country has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The country has also been undergoing a process of democratization which has involved slowly decentralizing its power. This means that greater authority has been distributed to the 34 provincial governments outside of the capital of Jakarta. Furthermore, to aid gender equality, a quota system requiring political parties to be made up of 30 per cent women has been put in place, although remnants of Suharto’s old system of cronyism remain, limiting the impact of the quotas translating to more women in provincial parliaments. But the defining approach to furthering gender equality in Indonesia has been through gender mainstreaming and gender-responsive budgeting which can be seen throughout provincial administrations in the country. This means there is the intention to ensure infrastructure, health and education outcomes include results that address specific gender equality gaps. The challenge for effective gender mainstreaming, however, is the political will to translate the approach into well-resourced programmes from one province to another. Indonesia has come a long way since becoming a democracy in 1998. Before that, Suharto, ruled the country for almost 32 years and increased the inequality gap between men and women. Nevertheless, we have just seen Indonesia go through the most incredible presidential and legislative elections last month – won by the current president, Joko Widodo, who has often been called the ‘Barack Obama of Southeast Asia’ and whose existing cabinet has the highest number of women in the country’s history. This is not simply a matter of filling seats in the cabinet with women – such as the wives and sisters of male politicians – because it’s required by law. But, rather, there are some incredible female political figures who are there because they are strong, smart and capable. You’ve rightly mentioned Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Susi Pudjiastuti, who is a fabulous role model for a lot of women particularly women who have not had tertiary education because she entered politics through an unorthodox route. Then there’s Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who is also the former leader of the World Bank and is such an inspiration to a lot of women who are looking to work in public life because of her experience as well as her work to include gender mainstreaming in state budgets. There is also Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, Yohana Susana Yembise, who is a Papuan woman, as well as many more female public figures. Full Article
don Independent Thinking: What does Donald Trump’s re-election mean for the world? By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 08:06:12 +0000 Independent Thinking: What does Donald Trump’s re-election mean for the world? Audio john.pollock 8 November 2024 Edward Luce, Leslie Vinjamuri and Gerald Seib join the podcast this week to discuss Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. On this episodeDonald Trump has decisively defeated Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. What does his return to the White House mean for America and the world? Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Luce, the FT’s North America editor, Gerald Seib, the former Washington bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal and Leslie Vinjamuri, the head of our US and Americas programme.About Independent ThinkingIndependent Thinking is a weekly international affairs podcast hosted by our director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists, and Chatham House experts providing insight on the latest international issues.More ways to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify. Full Article
don Cytochrome P450 and arachidonic acid bioactivation: molecular and functional properties of the arachidonate monooxygenase By www.jlr.org Published On :: 2000-02-01 Jorge H. CapdevilaFeb 1, 2000; 41:163-181Reviews Full Article
don Stop codon read-through of mammalian MTCH2 leading to an unstable isoform regulates mitochondrial membrane potential [Gene Regulation] By www.jbc.org Published On :: 2020-12-11T00:06:20-08:00 Stop codon read-through (SCR) is a process of continuation of translation beyond a stop codon. This phenomenon, which occurs only in certain mRNAs under specific conditions, leads to a longer isoform with properties different from that of the canonical isoform. MTCH2, which encodes a mitochondrial protein that regulates mitochondrial metabolism, was selected as a potential read-through candidate based on evolutionary conservation observed in the proximal region of its 3' UTR. Here, we demonstrate translational read-through across two evolutionarily conserved, in-frame stop codons of MTCH2 using luminescence- and fluorescence-based assays, and by analyzing ribosome-profiling and mass spectrometry (MS) data. This phenomenon generates two isoforms, MTCH2x and MTCH2xx (single- and double-SCR products, respectively), in addition to the canonical isoform MTCH2, from the same mRNA. Our experiments revealed that a cis-acting 12-nucleotide sequence in the proximal 3' UTR of MTCH2 is the necessary signal for SCR. Functional characterization showed that MTCH2 and MTCH2x were localized to mitochondria with a long t1/2 (>36 h). However, MTCH2xx was found predominantly in the cytoplasm. This mislocalization and its unique C terminus led to increased degradation, as shown by greatly reduced t1/2 (<1 h). MTCH2 read-through–deficient cells, generated using CRISPR-Cas9, showed increased MTCH2 expression and, consistent with this, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Thus, double-SCR of MTCH2 regulates its own expression levels contributing toward the maintenance of normal mitochondrial membrane potential. Full Article
don The Democrats have set themselves up to fail in November's election — and they don't seem to realize it By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:52:24 +0000 Source The Independent URL https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/democrats-buttigieg-sanders-trump-biden-str... Release date 21 February 2020 Expert Dr Lindsay Newman In the news type Op-ed Hide date on homepage Full Article
don China hawks are calling coronavirus their smoking gun. Don't buy it By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 17:37:27 +0000 Source Newsweek URL https://www.newsweek.com/china-hawks-are-calling-coronavirus-their-smoking-gun-d... Release date 14 April 2020 Expert Professor Kerry Brown In the news type Op-ed Hide date on homepage Full Article
don When Donald Trump spoke, a sense of delusion hovered over the White House By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Thu, 03 Sep 2020 09:08:27 +0000 Source The Telegraph URL https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/28/donald-trump-spoke-sense-delusion-ho... Release date 28 August 2020 Expert Dr Leslie Vinjamuri In the news type Op-ed Hide date on homepage Full Article
don Brylinski-Radon transformation and generic projections By www.ams.org Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:05 EST Yongqiang Liu, Laurentiu Maxim and Botong Wang Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 152 (), 5279-5288. Abstract, references and article information Full Article
don These are the House races that still don't have a projected winner By www.yahoo.com Published On :: 2024-11-12T00:32:44Z Full Article
don Here are 5 signs you’re financially healthy in America even if you don't feel like it — how many do you show? By finance.yahoo.com Published On :: 2024-11-12T12:42:00Z Full Article
don St Thomas residents plan proper funeral for Donovan By jamaica-star.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 05:01:08 -0500 In a touching display of compassion and solidarity, a group of St Thomas residents has come together to organise the funeral of a a well-known and beloved man with intellectual challenges. For years, Donovan Sinclair was a familiar face in the... Full Article
don International Donors Can End Lebanon's Corruption By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Mon, 10 Aug 2020 19:46:51 +0000 10 August 2020 Dr Lina Khatib Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme @LinaKhatibUK Change must come from within Lebanon, but Emmanuel Macron and others can help by ending their patronage of a disastrous regime. 2020-08-10-Lebanon-Beirut-Corruption-Protest An anti-government protester in Beirut puts up a poster accusing corruption in Lebanon's state judiciary. Photo by Sam Tarling/Getty Images. In the aftermath of the devastating Beirut port explosion last week, it is not just the role of the Lebanese political class that has come under scrutiny, but that of their international peers too.Sunday’s international donor conference led by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, raised €253m (£228m) in relief funds, but it also signalled an important change in rhetoric. For the first time, donors affirmed that relief funds would directly go to the Lebanese people, and that longer-term economic assistance would be dependent on Lebanon implementing structural reforms.This affirmation came hot on the heels of growing international attention on rampant corruption among Lebanon’s ruling political class, which is widely blamed for the port explosion. It sends the message to Lebanon’s rulers that, while their country desperately needs foreign assistance to stand on its feet, no one can help Lebanon if it does not also help itself.But the communique issued following the conference glossed over the international community’s own role in sustaining Lebanon’s corrupt political class over a period of decades. At the aid conference, Macron said that Lebanon’s future is at stake. What donors need to recognise is that this future is a shared responsibility for them and Lebanon’s leaders alike.With Lebanon’s debt greater than 170% of its GDP, and with the port explosion costing an estimated $15bn of damage, Lebanon needs foreign assistance to prevent it becoming a failed state. But what it needs even more desperately are reforms that would counter the corruption and lack of accountability that led it to this sorry state of affairs in the first place.It is Lebanon’s existing political system – a power-sharing pact between different sects rather than a system of governance on the basis of competence – that facilitates its leaders’ reckless behaviour.The international community is partly responsible for sustaining this system through cascading patronage. For decades, Lebanese leaders grew accustomed to neglecting the national interest and eventually being bailed out by international assistance. Dollar deposits would land in the central bank from Gulf donors, loans would be offered by European countries and foreign aid packages would flow to Lebanese state institutions – only for the majority of this money to end up lining the pockets of the country’s rulers, who frequently overcame their political differences to share state resources between them. The Lebanese state came to exist as a shell in the eyes of its citizens.Lebanon’s rulers benefited from citizens’ low expectations from the state and the lack of measures ensuring transparency and accountability in the country. They brokered a social contract that cast the leaders as patrons and the people as clients rather than citizens. Foreign powers were well aware of this dynamic but they often turned a blind eye to it, and even nurtured it, because they believed the Lebanese political system brought stability and predictability following the tumultuous civil war.With time the leaders’ greed grew, and with that the economic situation worsened. Leaders who behaved as de facto local authorities, granting constituents civil service jobs or minor privileges, provided them less and less. There was some international recognition that this dynamic was becoming unsustainable – international donors pledged $11bn during the CEDRE conference of 2018 on condition that Lebanon implemented structural reforms.And in the wake of Lebanon’s recent economic deterioration, the International Monetary Fund said in April that any discussion of a loan to Lebanon would be subject to more reforms. On both occasions, Lebanon’s rulers ignored the calls for reform, counting on foreign support eventually coming in unconditionally as it used to in the past. International donor follow-up was sluggish.The port explosion needs to be a wake-up call for any international entity seeking a stable Lebanon. The blast is ultimately the result of the decades during which political classes in Lebanon and outside it fostered the country’s dysfunctional political system. No long-term assistance should flow into Lebanon without strong conditions on transparency and accountability in how this assistance would be employed.Foreign support is not the problem per se, but rather when it is handed on a plate unconditionally, maintaining the patronage cascade, exacerbating the weakness of state institutions, and further impoverishing Lebanese citizens.With Lebanon’s economy almost crumbling in the aftermath of the explosion, there is an opportunity for the international community to exert leverage over Lebanese leaders – whose personal wealth grew partially from legal and illegal transactions through the devastated port – so that necessary reforms are implemented. Such leverage would not remove Lebanon’s defective political system, but would pressure its leaders to accept at least some basic reforms.But for Lebanon to really turn a new page, it needs a new social contract and a new political system based on fairness, transparency and accountability. This is a change that can only start from within Lebanon, but it also depends on the international community abandoning their tacit support of a disastrous political status quo.This article was originally published in The Guardian. Full Article
don UK clinics may be able to offer mitochrondrial donation next spring By www.bmj.com Published On :: Thursday, December 1, 2016 - 15:46 Full Article
don Healthy Diets from Sustainable Production: Indonesia By www.chathamhouse.org Published On :: Thu, 24 Jan 2019 04:14:17 +0000 Healthy Diets from Sustainable Production: Indonesia Research paper sysadmin 24 January 2019 Indonesia has an uncommon chance to bypass the negative trajectory of diets in other emerging economies and build a healthy and sustainable food system. — Indonesian Muslims prepare foods for iftar at the Jogokariyan Mosque on 3 June 2017 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Photo: Sijori Images / Barcroft Images / Barcroft Media via Getty Images. Summary Indonesia is approaching a key point on its development pathway. Rapidly declining poverty, a growing and urbanizing middle class with increased purchasing power and consumption patterns, and a diminishing contribution of agriculture to overall GDP are all set to fundamentally reorient much in society. Dietary change is at the heart of the public health and environmental challenges now facing Indonesia. Rates of obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes are on the increase, while high levels of childhood undernutrition persist. This double burden of malnutrition presents a critical challenge for the future of Indonesian public health. At the same time, shifts in diet are placing increased pressure on the environment, threatening biodiversity and species loss and rapidly increasing risks for land-use change, climate change and freshwater use. In Indonesia, these environmental impacts of agriculture are driven both by domestic consumption of food and biofuels, and by a focus on export-led agricultural growth – particularly palm oil, rubber, coffee and cocoa. A core political focus on achieving national self-sufficiency in five strategic commodities – soy, rice, maize, sugar and beef – which has led to some price distortion, and the growing influence of modernized retail are potentially at odds with a transition to healthy diets from sustainable production. The components to support an ambitious national food strategy already exist, but are either underutilized or misdirected. Indonesia’s national dietary guidelines and examples of successful food-based social services, together with the country’s potential to lead the sustainable production and consumption agenda, both regionally and internationally, and its commitments under both the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, can all be harnessed to foster improved diets. There is a need to align high-level policy strategies across environment, public health and food issues. Mainstreaming the principles of a healthy diet within existing food policy and partnering with food providers and local pioneers to champion these efforts can help to ensure that healthy diets, produced sustainably, become the norm. Between now and 2020, when Indonesia embarks on the final five-year tranche of its National Long-Term Development Plan, there is an important window of opportunity to take decisive action that will influence the future trajectory of the population’s health and that of its environment, as well as contribute substantively to the global fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. 2019 will, meanwhile, be a critical election year in Indonesia, with both presidential and legislative elections due. Signals from Indonesian media and civil society organizations indicate that poverty reduction and social equity – including affordability of good food and healthcare – will be among the flagship issues for voters. The moment is thus ripe for a bold new vision for a sustainable food system that supports healthy diets for all. In choosing to act now, Indonesia could lay the foundations for a more resilient and equitable development pathway that prioritizes improved public health while at the same time safeguarding some of the world’s most important ecosystems for future generations. Healthy Diets from Sustainable Production (PDF) Full Article